The ICC World Test Championship standings have been finalized for the 2021-23 season, with only the June final at The Oval between Australia and India remaining.
Following the conclusion of the second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the current ICC World Test Championship period has come to an end.
On the fourth day in Wellington, Sri Lanka finally showed some fight, but New Zealand skipper Tim Southee (3/51) got the final breakthrough to ensure a comfortable innings and 58-run victory over Dimuth Karunaratne’s side.
The victory propelled New Zealand from eighth to sixth place in the World Test Championship standings, with Pakistan and the West Indies both dropping a spot after the final Test of the series.
Of course, the World Test Championship final awaits, with Australia and India set to face off in the one-off Test at The Oval in London at the start of June after finishing first and second in the standings.
South Africa finishes third, just behind India in second, while England jumps to third, ahead of Sri Lanka, following the Asian nation’s 2-0 series loss to New Zealand.
Sri Lanka could have qualified for the final with a 2-0 series sweep of New Zealand, but a narrow loss in the first match and a poor performance in the second Test dropped them to fifth in the standings.