What If WTC Final Ends in a Draw?

image-lih8bsjnIndia and Australia will take on each other in WTC final [Source: Twitter]

The second edition of the World Test Championship enters its business end as the top two teams, India and Australia, gear up to clash in the tournament final, beginning on June 7. As both teams are studded with superstars, we expect a cracking contest at the iconic Kennington Oval in England. 

India and Australia have earned their place in the final by performing admirably in the WTC cycle. While Australia finished at the top of the WTC points table with eleven victories in 19 matches, India occupied the second position with ten victories in eighteen appearances. 

However, Rohit Sharma and Co. thumped their Australian counterparts in their head-to-head battle, sealing a 3-1 win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year.

The fierce rivalry between the two teams promises an absolute cliffhanger at the Oval. However, which team will lift the trophy in case the WTC final ends in a draw? 


What will happen if WTC final ends in a draw?

Notably, there is a reserve day for the game, but that will come into play only if a substantial amount of time is lost due to inclement weather. Something similar happened during the first WTC final in 2021, as the reserve day was used with two days being washed out. So, unless rain and bad light play spoilsport, we won't see the game heading to the reserve day. 

Therefore, if the WTC final ends in a draw, even after five days of full-fledged game, both teams will share the trophy, being declared as the joint winners of the WTC 2021-23. In other words, Australia, despite finishing at the top, won't lift the title based on their group-stage performance. 

Meanwhile, the ICC has prepared a back-up pitch at the Oval, keeping the 'Just Stop Oil' protest in mind. In case the activists damage the first-choice pitch, the back-up surface will be used. However, if, unfortunately, the game gets abandoned due to the protest, both teams will share the WTC mace as the joint winners. 

This will be the second consecutive time for India to feature in the WTC final. They qualified for the same in the previous cycle only to incur a humiliating loss against New Zealand in a one-sided affair in Southampton.