After having finished bottom of the pile in the first two Test Championship cycles, Bangladesh will spare themselves the ignominy in the current World Test Championship cycle, a fact confirmed following Pakistan’s five-point penalty by the ICC.
South Africa fast bowler says plans are in already in motion in their quest to take the World Test Championship mace off Australia at Lord's in June.
The Test had a finish more like that of a Twenty20 match as the tailenders delivered success after South Africa had slumped dramatically before lunch and seen Pakistan on the verge of success.
The chaotic results column is overall a good sign for Test cricket.
India now trail Australia, and their percentage points (PCT) is dangerously close to Sri Lanka and New Zealand, who are in third and fourth spot respectively. With a five-Test series against Australia in Australia coming up, India's place in the top two could be in jeopardy.
Through three World Cup titles, two World Test Championship (WTC) finals, and a 12-year Test series winning streak on home soil, Kohli and Sharma, often together, have been integral to every major Indian success of the last 17 years.
India and Australia remain in the top two spots on the standings and a repeat of the memorable 2023 final at The Oval remains a distinct possibility.
A 2-0 clean sweep of Pakistan has propelled Bangladesh into the top four and neck-deep in the running for a World Test Championship Final spot.
It will be the first time Lord's will host the one-off test played between the two highest-ranked sides in the five-day format, with previous finals taking place at Southampton's Rose Bowl and The Oval in London.
Bangladesh finished in ninth position among nine teams in the Championship, the final of which will be played at The Oval, London from 7 to 11 June between India and Australia.
Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood is expected to be fit for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India and the Ashes despite cutting his Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign short.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels the woefully out-of-form India and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma should take a break from the IPL and instead prepare in earnest for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor has backed David Warner to play in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at The Oval in June and to also feature in the initial stage of the Ashes 2023 in England.
Sri Lanka would have qualified for the WTC final if they had swept New Zealand in their two-match series and Australia denied India victory in the ongoing fourth test in Ahmedabad.
India could take matters out of Sri Lankan hands with a win in its fourth Test against Australia next week but Silverwood said the team would be determined to take advantage of any slip up to raise the spirits of an embattled nation
Sri Lanka's resounding 246-run victory over Pakistan in the second Test in Galle has seen them break into the top five of the ICC World Test Championship standings.
Pakistan's remarkable victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle has seen a major reshuffle within the top five on the World Test Championship standings.
Sri Lanka's stunning victory over Australia in the second Test in Galle has had major ramifications on the race for next year's World Test Championship final.
As if the seven-wicket loss against England was not bad enough, India were docked two World Test Championship (WTC) points for their slow over rate in the rearranged fifth Test at Edgbaston.
