We will fancy our chances at the Test Championship, says Virat Kohli

The International Cricket Council (ICC) officially launched the World Test Championship on Monday and the Championship will see the top nine ranked teams go toe-to-toe with each other over the course of the next 24 months with matches both home and away, with the Top two teams set to take down each other in the final showdown at Lord's in 2021. 

"The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world’s best teams to go head-to-head. The World Test Championship will bring relevance and context to bilateral Test cricket over the next two years, creating a pinnacle event for the five-day format, just as the World Cups for men and women do in the ODI and T20I formats," said ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice in an official press release on the ICC website.

With the ICC Test rankings currently being the only method to determine the best Test team in the world, the World Test Championship will provide a completely new outlook on things, and both players and fans can see an undisputed champion being fairly crowned at the end of the tournament.

Virat Kohli, who has led India to the top of the ICC Men's Test rankings, has expressed his excitement over the launch of the Championship, describing the longest format of the game as "challenging", while also saying that his men will fancy their chances to lift the coveted trophy. 

“We are awaiting the ICC World Test Championship with great enthusiasm as it adds context to the longest format of the game,”  Kohli told ICC in an official press release. 

"Test cricket is very challenging and coming out on top in the traditional form is always highly satisfying. The Indian team has done really well in recent years and will be fancying its chances in the Championship," he added.

English veteran James Anderson and Australian skipper Tim Paine were also among the men to express their joy over the launch of the new format, and with less than a week left for the Ashes to begin, both men will be looking forward to start the Test Championship on a winning note. 

"The World Test Championship is a fantastic initiative. We love playing Test cricket, it’s the pinnacle for us, remains hugely popular in Australia and we’re fortunate that it enjoys great support at home among players, the media and the public” said Australian Test captain Tim Paine.

“To wear the baggy green is the ultimate for all Australian cricketers and if the World Test Championship helps to ensure that all countries make Tests a high priority then that has to be good news for the game in general and the continuing health of the format in particular," he added.

“Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport. It is the very essence of cricket and the majority of players want to strive to play the purist form of the game. The ICC World Test Championship is another brilliant initiative for the sport, adding context and relevance to every Test series. Every Test matters, but even more so now,” Anderson told the ICC website.