3 match WTC finals in 3 different continents to determine the winner, suggests Nathan Lyon

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has proposed that the World Test Championships Final, played once every two years, should be a three-match affair hosted across three different countries – India, England and Australia to determine the ultimate winner.

“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 all your 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 told the ICC.

“You potentially could go one in England, one in India, one in Australia, so you have all different conditions, but obviously, the timing of that changes everything. I don’t think we’re going to get on the MCG in the middle of August, just putting it out there,” he added.

The 36-year-old, who lifted the title with Australia in 2023, praised the WTC playing format – with teams contesting for the top-two spots over a span of two years – stating that it eliminates the possibility of inconsequential games or Test series.

Australia’s Nathan Lyon celebrates with the ICC Test Mace along with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Cameron Green after winning the World Test Championship final. (Reuters)

“It’s not tournament play. You can’t just be scraping into the semi-finals and losing two games or what not. You’ve got to be consistent over the two years of the cycle,” Lyon said.

“I’ll just say it’s the pinnacle for Test cricket. People say it’s sometimes a dead rubber when you turn 2-0 up in a three-match series or whatever it may be. But I feel like there’s no more dead rubbers. I’ve never considered them dead rubbers, but there’s always points on offer now. You look at us last year losing against West Indies at the Gabba huart us a fair bit. But then I would go to New Zealand and win away from home, which is one of the biggest challenges in Test cricket,” he added.

In 2023, playing against India, Lyon clinched five wickets across the two innings – a 4-fer in the final innings – of the WTC Final at The Oval as Australia became the Test champions in the previous cycle.

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Currently positioned top two in the ongoing WTC cycle, Australia are scheduled to play a five-match Test series against India at home later this year.

On Tuesday, the ICC announced that the WTC 2025 Final shall be played at The Lord’s between June 11 and June 15, with a reserve day in hand.

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