"I'd like to see the World Test Championship Final potentially in a three-match series" - Nathan Lyon
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has expressed his wish for the World Test Championship (WTC) final to be played over a three-match series rather than a one-off Test. The ICC recently confirmed that the 2023-25 WTC final will be played at Lord's from June 11 to 15.
The WTC came into existence in 2019 to add more context to each bilateral Test match and series over two-year cycles. While New Zealand triumphed over India in the inaugural WTC final in 2021, Australia replicated their trans-tasmanian neighbor's result by doing a number on India in the 2023 final.
During a recent interview, Lyon said (via ICC's official website):
"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 added that India, England, and Australia could each host a match for the WTC final, even if logistics might be difficult to pull off.
"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," added Lyon.
Two of India's stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have also previously called for the WTC final to be a three-match affair.
Meanwhile, Lyon was the leading wicket-taker for the 2021-23 WTC cycle with 88 scalps in 20 Tests at an average of 26.12.
"World Test Championship for me is like the World Cup" - Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon considers the World Test Championship the equivalent of a World Cup, highlighting the consistency required for a long period to be crowned champions.
Australia are currently second on the 2023-25 WTC table behind India, with the two teams on course of a repeat of the 2023 finale.
"It's massive, but I feel like the World Test Championship for me is like the World Cup and that's a genuine big World Cup. When you are competing against the best for long periods of time over a two-year period, you have to be good for the whole lot. 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," Nathan Lyon said in the same interview.
Australia's next Test assignment is a mouthwatering five-match home series against India, starting in Perth on November 22.