In an age where white-ball spectacle threatens to shadow red-ball grit, the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) stood its ground — and, frankly, saved Test cricket from becoming nostalgic wallpaper. It added context. Weight. Purpose. And by 2025, it crowned three champions — each rewriting their legacy in the longest format. This isn’t just a list of winners. It’s a look behind the scenes. Into what it took. What it meant. And why these titles hit different.
The Genesis of the Championship — And Why It Mattered
Let’s not kid ourselves. By 2018, Test cricket was limping. Empty stands. Dwindling attention. Even traditional fans were asking, “What’s at stake?” Enter: the WTC. Structured like a league. Scheduled over two-year cycles. Finals at Lord’s or The Oval. A mace that mattered.
It wasn’t perfect. The points system was complex. COVID-19 wreaked havoc mid-cycle. But it gave us something priceless — purpose. The WTC restored narrative tension to bilateral series. Suddenly, a dead rubber in Chennai wasn’t dead anymore.
ICC World Test Championship Winners List (2019–2025)
Let’s break down who took the mace home, and what those wins meant — not just on paper, but for legacy.
| Edition | Winner | Final Opponent | Venue | Margin of Victory | Captain |
| 2019–21 | New Zealand 🇳🇿 | India 🇮🇳 | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 8 wickets | Kane Williamson |
| 2021–23 | Australia 🇦🇺 | India 🇮🇳 | The Oval, London | 209 runs | Pat Cummins |
| 2023–25 | South Africa 🇿🇦 | England 🏴 | Lord’s, London | 3 wickets | Temba Bavuma |
Three winners. Three very different stories.
New Zealand’s 2021 Win — Underdogs No More
The Black Caps had been bridesmaids for far too long. World Cup 2015. World Cup 2019 (don’t even mention the Super Over). But in June 2021, with overcast skies and Duke balls swinging, they found redemption.
They outplayed India — tactically, mentally, methodically. Kyle Jamieson was unplayable. Kane’s calm was zen-like. And that final session, when Ross Taylor flicked the winning runs? A nation exhaled.
This was Test cricket’s quiet revolution. Not loud. Not brash. Just beautifully clinical.
Australia’s 2023 Statement — The Return of the Giants
By the time Australia walked out at The Oval in 2023, they’d heard the murmurs: “Their golden generation’s gone.” But what followed was a masterclass.
Steve Smith’s 121 in the first innings was vintage. The pace attack, led by Cummins and Starc, was relentless. India, despite a strong WTC cycle, looked second-best.
What made this win crucial? It wasn’t just a title — it was a reaffirmation. A message that the Baggy Greens still breathe fire in whites.
South Africa’s 2025 Breakthrough — History at Lord’s
This one hit different. South Africa — a side always talented, always close, but never quite over the line — finally cracked it.
Temba Bavuma, leading from the front. Rabada bowling rockets. Markram grinding out a gritty fourth-innings fifty under pressure. They beat England, in England, at Lord’s.
For a nation still dealing with the ghosts of the 90s and early 2000s — heartbreaks, quota controversies, and retirements of legends — this was vindication. Not just of talent, but belief.
From Mace to Meaning — How the Titles of WTC Changed Everything
WTC victories are far more important than the pictures and pyrotechnics; they transformed profiles and the discourse in cricket.
- Kane Williamson has now earned his place as an all-format great.
- Pat Cummins proved that fast bowlers could be strategic captains.
- Temba Bavuma is the first Black South African captain to lift an ICC title. While doing so, he shattered many glass ceilings.
In all these instances, the WTC served as a crucible. A cricketing character was tempered and shaped within the testing fires of the WTC.
Statistical Shifts That Mattered
Let’s bring out the numbers — not to bore, but to emphasize.
| Category | New Zealand (2021) | Australia (2023) | South Africa (2025) |
| Top Run Scorer | Devon Conway (254) | Steve Smith (327) | Aiden Markram (298) |
| Top Wicket Taker | Kyle Jamieson (7) | Pat Cummins (9) | Kagiso Rabada (10) |
| Player of the Final | Jamieson | Smith | Rabada |
Notice the pattern? Big-game players delivered. And often, it wasn’t the usual suspects.
Where Does India Fit In?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the WTC room. India made it to two finals. Lost both. The talent’s there. The hunger, unquestioned. But when it comes to WTC finals — the timing, the conditions, the execution — they just haven’t clicked.
Is it nerves? Is it poor prep? The debate rages. But one thing is certain: they’ll be back. Hungrier.
What’s Next for the ICC World Test Championship?
By 2027, the WTC will be four editions old. Will it still matter? Yes — more than ever.
Expect tweaks. Maybe neutral venues. Maybe bonus points for away wins. But its core value — making Test cricket mean more — remains untouchable.
Why This Trophy Is More Than Just Hardware
There’s something about five days. About the swing of a red ball at 10:30 AM. About a batter on 98 with shadows stretching long. About surviving. About dominating. And about winning not just a match, but the respect of your peers.
The WTC trophy symbolizes that.
It’s not shiny hype. It’s earned, over years. It’s sweat, patience, heartbreak — and finally, joy.
Final Word: Test Cricket, Not Dead Yet
In 2025, South Africa stood tall at Lord’s. In doing so, they didn’t just win silverware. They proved — to fans, to boards, to broadcasters — that five-day cricket isn’t fading. It’s fighting back.
And the ICC World Test Championship is its loudest, proudest battle cry.