Australia lead the World Test Championship 2025-27 table with a points percentage (PCT) of 81.82 after their 214-run win over South Africa in Durban. New Zealand are second on 72.22, and defending champions South Africa have dropped to third on 60.00. India are fifth on 51.52 after 11 Tests. The top two teams at the end of the cycle meet in the final at The Oval, London, from 9 to 13 June 2027.
Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban, which ended on 13 October 2026, and lead the three-Test series 1-0. Josh Hazlewood took six wickets as South Africa were bowled out for 206 on the final day. The second Test starts on 18 October.
WTC 2025-27 points table
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points deducted | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 81.82 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 72.22 |
| 3 | South Africa | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 60.00 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 55.56 |
| 5 | India | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 51.52 |
| 6 | England | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 74 | 38.54 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 33.33 |
| 8 | West Indies | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 20.83 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 4.63 |
Standings as of 13 October 2026, after the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban. The official table is on the ICC website.
How WTC points and PCT work
Every Test in the cycle is worth the same number of points, whatever the length of the series:
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 12 |
| Tie | 6 |
| Draw | 4 |
| Loss | 0 |
Teams play different numbers of Tests, so the table is ranked by PCT rather than total points. PCT is the points a team has won as a share of the points it could have won. India, for example, have played 11 Tests, so 132 points were available. They have won five (60 points) and drawn two (8 points), giving 68 points and a PCT of 51.52.
That is why England sit below India despite having more points. England’s 74 points came from 16 Tests and 192 available points, a PCT of 38.54.
Over-rate deductions
Teams lose one WTC point for every over they are behind the required rate at the end of a Test, after allowances. Three teams have been penalised so far this cycle:
| Team | Points deducted | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 19 | Includes 11 points after being 11 overs short in the final Test against England. Their 24 points from two wins have fallen to 5, and their PCT to 4.63. |
| England | 14 | Without the deductions their PCT would be 45.83, not 38.54. |
| West Indies | 2 | 32 points earned, 30 counted. |
Pakistan’s penalty is the reason their record of two wins from nine Tests produces such a low PCT.
The race for the final
Australia have won nine of their 11 Tests and are on 81.82, but they also have the most cricket left of the leading sides. They have two more Tests in South Africa before 31 October, then four at home against New Zealand from December, and a five-Test series in India.
South Africa have played only five Tests, and the Durban defeat cut their PCT from 75.00 to 60.00. It can move sharply either way across a busy home season: two more Tests against Australia in October, two against Bangladesh in November and three against England from December.
New Zealand’s 72.22 comes from six Tests, and they still have four Tests in Australia and two at home against India to come. Bangladesh, fourth on 55.56, face two Tests in South Africa in November.
India’s path to the 2027 final
India have seven Tests left: two away in New Zealand in November and five at home against Australia. Those seven Tests are worth 84 points, which puts the maximum within India’s reach in plain numbers:
| Result in remaining 7 Tests | Final points | Final PCT |
|---|---|---|
| Win all 7 | 152 of 216 | 70.37 |
| Win 6, lose 1 | 140 of 216 | 64.81 |
| Win 5, draw 1, lose 1 | 132 of 216 | 61.11 |
| Win 4, lose 3 | 116 of 216 | 53.70 |
These figures assume no over-rate deductions. Even a perfect run would leave India below Australia’s current 81.82, so India also need the teams above them to drop points. The two series against New Zealand and Australia are direct contests with sides above India, so every Indian win also costs a rival.
India’s cycle has been uneven so far. A drawn series in England and a 0-2 home defeat to South Africa were followed by a 1-0 win in Sri Lanka, covered in our India vs Sri Lanka Test series 2026 report.
Upcoming WTC series
| Series | Tests | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa vs Australia | 3 | 9 to 31 October 2026 |
| New Zealand vs India | 2 | November 2026 |
| South Africa vs Bangladesh | 2 | 15 to 23 November 2026 |
| Australia vs New Zealand | 4 | From 9 December 2026 |
| South Africa vs England | 3 | From 17 December 2026 |
| India vs Australia | 5 | To be confirmed |
Leading players this cycle
England’s Joe Root leads the WTC 2025-27 run-scorers with 1,272, one ahead of team-mate Harry Brook on 1,271. Josh Tongue of England is the leading wicket-taker with 64, ahead of Australia’s Mitchell Starc on 58.
WTC 2027 final
The final will be played at The Oval in London from 9 to 13 June 2027, the year Test cricket marks 150 years. England will also host the 2029 and 2031 finals. The previous three were won by New Zealand in 2021, Australia in 2023 (against India at The Oval) and South Africa in 2025 at Lord’s.
Updated 14 October 2026. Sources: ICC, Khel Now, Morung Express (IANS), All India Radio News, Wisden, ABC News and Al Jazeera.
