Who can reach World Test Championship final? Australia, India and South Africa the frontrunners to make Lord's

The race to reach the World Test Championship Final at Lord's next summer is hotting up.

England are not really in it, with too many defeats and over-rate indiscretions all but ending their hopes, but Australia, India, South Africa and, to a much lesser extent, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are still standing, with the first three the frontrunners.

What does each side need?

South Africa

Remaining matches = two at home to Pakistan

A sweep of their two-match series at home to Sri Lanka has put the Proteas in the driving seat for the final. Do the same in their upcoming clash with Pakistan and they are locked in, while one draw or loss may still be enough but could leave them needing a favour from others.

Australia

Remaining matches = three at home to India; two in Sri Lanka

Reigning champions Australia will reach their second-straight World Test Championship final if they win four of their final five Tests in the programme. Three wins may also be enough.

India

Remaining matches = three in Australia

After a heavy defeat to Australia in the day-night Test at Adelaide, India now need to win their final three Tests in Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney) to guarantee their spot at Lord's.

India were beaten finalists in the first two WTC finals, going down to New Zealand in Southampton at the end of the 2019-21 cycle and then defeated by Australia at The Kia Oval in the 2023 showpiece.

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Sri Lanka

Remaining matches = two at home to Australia

While Sri Lanka were more competitive in defeat in the second Test - going down by 109 runs to South Africa - that, coupled with their embarrassing loss in the series-opener in Durban - a game in which they were rolled for their lowest Test score of 42, subsiding in less than 14 overs - means they are all but out of contention. They simply must sweep Australia in their two-Test series and get a whole heap of favours along the way.

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New Zealand

Remaining matches = one at home to England

New Zealand's eight-wicket defeat to England in the first Test in Christchurch, plus three docked points for slow over-rates, was a massive dent to the Black Caps' hopes and they are now all but over after the 323-run thrashing to Ben Stokes' side in Wellington. Even victory in the final Test in Hamilton is unlikely to propel them into contention for the final, with too much ground to make up.

How does the points system work?

Each of the nine sides - Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies - play six series (three at home and three away).

With the teams not playing an equal number of matches, the table is determined by percentage of points won, with the 12 points awarded for a win getting you 100 per cent, the six for a tie 50 per cent and the four for a draw 33.3 per cent.

If you lose a game, you leave with nothing.

Teams can lose points for over-rate infringements, as England and Australia did during The 2023 Ashes and, most recently, the series-opening Test against New Zealand.

England were deducted a whopping 19 points in total for slow over-rates in the first, second, fourth and fifth Tests of last year's Ashes, while their indiscretion in Christchurch cost them a further three - taking their total to a staggering 22 overall.