Best of three finals for WTC? Australian spinner Nathan Lyon comes up with bold suggestion for new format

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has come up with a bold suggestion for the World Test Championship (WTC) final setup as his side prepares for the limited-overs series against Scotland and England. Lyon, a member of the Australian side that won the 2023 WTC final, suggested that the final should be played over three matches and that too at different venues to counter the setbacks. The WTC final in the current format is a one-off final, which has taken place in England for the previous editions and will be played at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2025.

Lyon comes up with bold suggestion for the WTC final

“One thing I would like to see. I'd like to see the World Test Championship Final, potentially in a three-match series. That may become a little bit better because you, potentially, can lose using a Test match in one session where [in a three-match series] it may allow teams to bounce back, you show their dominance and win 3-0. We're pretty time-poor anyway and that's going to be a challenge, but that's one thing I would change," Lyon said while speaking on Wednesday.

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Currently, the WTC serves as the biggest Test event on the International Cricket Council (ICC) calendar. However, with the one-off final taking place, the margin for error is less for the teams, which doesn’t allow themto make a comeback. India has been the losing finalist, having lost both finals to New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023).

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India lost the 2021 final on the reserve day, while Australia beat India convincingly in 2023. However, if the final is played over three legs, the teams can still retain an opportunity to win the WTC even if they suffer a setback in the early stage.

While the topic remains a point of debate, the dates for the 2025 WTC final were announced on Tuesday. The 2025 WTC final will be played from June 11 to June 15 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Stadium in London.