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Dhananjay de Silva, Pat Cummins, and Rohit Sharma (Source: X)
The World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 finals race is still open for three teams: India, Australia, and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, after crushing Pakistan in the first Test match, South Africa have booked their seats in the WTC 2025 final, for the first time. Under captain Temba Bhavuma, the team did extremely well in all the departments of the game.
The last spot is vacant, and the chances of Australia's qualification are higher than any other team because of their PCT in the WTC points table. Australia are leading the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024, 2-1, after beating India in the fourth Test match by 184 runs. It was a humiliating defeat for the Indian team, as the ball was in their court for quite some time. The batters' lack of responsibility, especially the senior players, resulted in the loss.
Also Read:How can India still qualify for WTC 2025 finals after embarrassing loss at MCG?
Here is the latest WTC 2025 points table
Position | Team | Matches | Points Played | Points | PCT | |||
| P | W | L | D | |||||
| 1 | South Africa (Q) | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 132 | 88 | 66.67 |
| 2 | Australia | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 192 | 118 | 61.45 |
| 3 | India | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 216 | 114 | 52.77 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 168 | 81 | 48.21 |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 132 | 60 | 45.45 |
| 6 | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 264 | 114 | 43.18 |
| 7 | Bangladesh (E) | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 144 | 45 | 31.25 |
| 8 | Pakistan (E) | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 132 | 40 | 30.30 |
| 9 | West Indies (E) | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 132 | 32 | 24.24 |
Analysis
As India still have a game to go, their qualification chances for the WTC finals are still alive. If the visitors win the game, BGT will end in a draw (2-2). Then, Sri Lanka will have to win the series against Australia, 2-0 or 1-0 for India to qualify. However, if the SL vs AUS series ends in a draw, 1-1, or Australia win 1-0 or 2-0, then they will play against South Africa in the finals.
The tables might turn if Australia win the BGT 2024, 2-1. Then, India will be out of the WTC race, and Sri Lanka will have a higher chance of qualifying if they win the series, 2-0 against Australia. Interestingly, if Sri Lanka win the series 1-0, or the series is drawn 0-0 or 1-1, Australia will qualify for the WTC Finals. Australia are on the safe side and have to win just one game to strengthen their chances of qualification.
The last scenario is if Australia win the Sydney Test match against India, they'll directly qualify for the WTC finals alongside South Africa, forcing India and Sri Lanka out of the tournament. Hence, Sri Lanka will surely extend their support to India in the last Test match in Sydney.
Also Read:South Africa defeat Pakistan to become the first team to progress to the WTC final
FAQ:
1. What if India win against Australia?
A. India will have to depend on Sri Lanka and hope that Australia will not win a single match in the two-match Test series.
2. Can India qualify for the WTC Final if Australia win the BGT (2-1)?
A. No, India wouldn't qualify if Australia win any games from here. Sri Lanka and Australia will be the only team who can qualify for the finals then.
3. What if Australia wins the BGT with a 3-1 margin?
A. India and Sri Lanka will be out of the WTC 2025 race and Australia will get the direct qualification ticket against South Africa.