Follow UsEngland have been the host of the World Test Championship for the last three editions including the latest one in 2025 where South Africa beat Australia in the final. They will also host the final for the 2027 edition with the venue being the home of cricket-Lord’s. India had also applied to be the host, but their bid got rejected.
Ravi Shastri, a former India cricketer and coach turned commentator, feels that the WTC Final venue should be rotated, but not initially. Now that four finals will be played in England, Shastri suggested alternate venues, which should ideally be mega stadiums with the ability to accommodate audiences of the capacity of 100,000.
With this wish, he singled out only two stadiums. One was Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia and the other-Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
He denied other Indian grounds with a much bigger legacy and lineage to Test cricket the chance to even stand in line to become the host of the WTC final, just because they did not fit the criterion of having the capacity to accommodate a 100,000-strong crowd.
“I think to start off initially, it’s good if it’s here (Lord’s) actually. Once it gets the popularity and eyebrows it deserves, then it can start shifting. But I think the MCG could be a great place for a World Test Championship Final,” he said on the Wisden Cricket Podcast.
“Ahmedabad could be a great place for the WTC Final. Basically, places where you can draw a crowd. Because Lord’s is not a 100,000-seater stadium. So, irrespective of which team is playing, you know you will get a good crowd,” Shastri added.