The upcoming Pataudi Trophy – the five-match Test series between India and England – will mark the commencement of the second edition of the World Test Championship. The two-year cycle will culminate with a final in June 2023, for which the venue is yet to be decided.
The first Test of the five-match series between India and England will take place at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, from 4 August. The other four matches will be played in Lord’s, Headingley, The Oval, and Old Trafford.
Following that, England will tour Australia later this year for the Ashes series. England will play 22 Test matches in the WTC cycle, the most by any team. India have as many as 19 matches. They will play 10 of these abroad. India will tour South Africa next year for a three-Test series, and Bangladesh for a two-match series.
Winning the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship has not resulted in more Test matches for New Zealand. They will play only 13 Test matches across six series. Only one of these, against England, will feature three games.
There have been some changes in the point system as well. Unlike the first edition, every match will now fetch a maximum of 12 points. In case of a draw, both sides will have to settle for four points each, while a tie will give six points to each contestant. There is also provision for deducting points for slow over rates.