WTC Final History
Three finals, three different champions. What happened each time the World Test Championship came down to one match.
2021: New Zealand beat India in Southampton
The first-ever WTC Final was pushed into a reserve day by rain in Southampton. New Zealand bowled India out for 170 in the third innings, Kyle Jamieson took a five-wicket haul, and Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor knocked off the target of 139 for an eight-wicket win.
It gave New Zealand their first major ICC title since 2000 and rewarded a league campaign built on home dominance: they finished the 2019-21 cycle on 70.0 PCT against India's 72.2.
2023: Australia beat India at The Oval
Travis Head's 163 and Steve Smith's 121 set up a first-innings total of 469, and Australia never let go, winning by 209 runs. Nathan Lyon closed the match with four second-innings wickets.
Australia became the first team to hold every major ICC trophy at once. India lost their second consecutive final despite topping the qualification race for much of the cycle.
2025: South Africa beat Australia at Lord's
Chasing 282, South Africa were guided home by Aiden Markram's 136 and captain Temba Bavuma's gritty half-century on an injured hamstring. The five-wicket win sealed their first world title in 27 years.
Kagiso Rabada's nine wickets in the match dismantled the defending champions. South Africa had qualified top of the 2023-25 table on 69.44 PCT, silencing a long run of knockout heartbreak.
Next: The Oval, June 2027
The 2025–27 final returns to The Oval on 9–13 June 2027. Follow the live points table to see who gets there. Standings.