The Indian National Cricket Team has found itself at the disturbing spot in the points table of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. Things are looking bleak for them as their road to reach the final has become very difficult, especially after their loss to Australia in Adelaide.
India topped the ICC World Test Championship points table after beating Bangladesh in the two-match Test series at home. They then needed just 5 wins from 8 games to seal their place in the Championship final, with three games coming at home.
However, misfortune struck for them as they continued to face calcification in the three-match Test series against the New Zealand National Cricket Team. This reduced their chances of reaching the final of the ICC World Test Championship and put them under immense pressure.
India started the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 on a high as they beat Australia by a huge margin of 295 runs
India then started the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 on a high as they beat Australia by a huge margin of 295 runs. This took them one step closer to the final of the ICC World Test Championship, but the joy was short-lived as they went on to face defeat in the second game in Adelaide.
With the loss in the Adelaide Test, India slipped to third place in the ICC World Test Championship points table. Although that was not enough, the South African National Cricket Team also made things difficult for them as they all booked their place for the summit clash, which will be held in June next year.
South Africa have all but sealed a place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship
South Africa won the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka after winning the second Test by a huge margin of 109 runs. The win saw them top the leaderboard with a PCT percentage of 63.33%. To progress to the final, they just need to win one game out of their remaining two games against Pakistan.
With a place in the ICC World Test Championship final all but sealed, the pressure will now be on India. To make it to the final of the ICC World Test Championship, the Rohit Sharma-led side will have to put up a huge effort in the remaining three games of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
India’s script to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship
India cannot afford to lose a single game and if that happens, it will almost spell curtains for the team in the ICC World Test Championship. They need to win the series by a margin of 3-1 to make their case strong. Even winning the series 2-1 would not secure them a place in the top clash.
If India win 2-1, then Sri Lanka would like to whitewash Australia in the two-match series next year as it would allow the Rohit Sharma-led side to progress. However, if the Border-Gavaskar series ends in a 2-2 draw, India will be hoping that Sri Lanka will either beat Australia 2-0 or bring two draws.
In this scenario, India will be able to qualify for the final with 55.26%. In this scenario, Australia will also finish with a similar PCT, but India will go through at Lord’s due to claiming more wins during the WTC cycle.
