The arch-rivals may clash in the ICC Test Championship final, but there is a possibility of a repeat for this as India is first on the points table while Pakistan is 5th.
Pakistan and India have not played a mutual Test match for 16 years, but the two traditional rivals may compete in the next year-long format match. India , which always drags politics into sports, has also imposed an undeclared ban on bilateral sports competitions with Pakistan , while also preventing Pakistan from sending its team to play ICC and ACC events. Has always been in denial.
Pakistan and India have been competing against each other in ODI matches and T20 matches in ICC competitions, but cricket fans are eagerly waiting to see the two traditional rivals face each other in a Test match.
However, now there is a possibility of a Test match between the two traditional rivals next year and this ray of hope is the ICC Test Championship, the final of which will be played in England next year, but there will be a repeat if the current points. India is first in the table while Pakistan is in 5th position and the top two teams will play the final in March next year.
The current cycle is the third period of the Test Championship 2023-25 and the possibility of the Indian team playing the final for the third time in a row is bright. They were defeated by New Zealand and Australia respectively , but Pakistan have yet to play this decisive match. However, compared to India , Pakistan ‘s journey to the final is a bit more difficult. Pakistan started the third period of the Test Championship with a clean sweep victory against Sri Lanka and secured the top position, but after being whitewashed by Australia, they were relegated to the bottom of the rankings.
Pakistan has played 5 Test matches in this period so far and 9 Test matches are to be played, but the good thing is that 7 out of 9 Test matches are to be played at home grounds. Pakistan will host a two-Test series against Bangladesh and the West Indies this year and a three-Test series against England, while the national team will travel to South Africa for a two-Test series next year. If the Pakistan team takes advantage of the home ground to get victories and also win the series against South Africa , its chances of playing in the championship final will increase. However, for this, it is imperative that the second-ranked Australia lose to India in the upcoming 5-Test home series.
