cricket

Updated: Aug 30, 2019 08:27 IST

When the ICC announced the World Test Championship, they believed that it would add more context to Test matches and that it would draw viewers to enjoy the longest format. 6 matches down the line and we can already see the impact of the points system. On any given bilateral series, New Zealand would not have pushed for a victory like they did against Sri Lanka and on any given normal bilateral series, a drawn Test at Lord’s would not have skewed as many eyebrows.

As things stand now, India lead the points table with 60 points and for someone who manages to take a fleeting glance at the table, is bound to have few questions up his sleeve. India are then followed by New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England and Australia - all these teams have won 1 match each. However, while New Zealand and Sri Lanka are level on points with India, both Australia and England – who have played three matches – have all but 32 points to show for all the drama unfolding at the Ashes.

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What is happening?

As per the points table and the system put into place by the ICC, in the World Test Championship, a win in a two-match series will see the winning team awarded 60 points (120 for a 2-0 win), while in a five-match series, the maximum points available per match is 24. This is because the maximum points alloted to any series remains 120. So while, teams stand to gain by playing a two-match Test series, they are also at a risk of losing out on a great deal if things do not fall on their side.

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Subsequently, the points for a drawn Test match also changes depending on the number of matches in a series. The rule, however, stays constant. Both the teams are allotted one third of the points reserved for a win in the series, which means a drawn Test in a five-match series accounts for 8 points (one third of maximum points 24) each to the teams and in a two-match series it is 20 (one third of maximum points 60).

As per the stipulated rules, all the teams will be three home series and three away series, so when the final table works itself out, there will be more sanity. In the meanwhile, the points table will make for rather interesting read with the conclusion of each match.