World Test Championship final scenarios: How India can qualify for the WTC final against Australia
Australia booked their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be played at The Oval in June, by beating India by nine wickets in Indore. India and Sri Lanka are battling it out for the second spot.
Had the hosts won the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against the Aussies, they would have confirmed their berth in the WTC 2023 final. However, following their shock loss in Indore on a rank turner, they now need to beat Australia in the final Test of the series, which begins at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, March 9.
A victory in Ahmedabad, irrespective of the margin, will ensure India’s qualification for the World Test Championship final against Australia. Team India’s points percentage (PCT) fell from 64.06 to 60.29 after the loss in Indore, their fifth defeat in 17 games in the ongoing WTC cycle.
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A triumph in Ahmedabad will see India finish with a PCT of 62.5 in the WTC table. That would be enough for India to qualify since the maximum PCT Sri Lanka can achieve during their tour of New Zealand is 61.11.
Can India qualify for WTC final even if they lose in Ahmedabad?
Yes, India can make it to the World Test Championship final even if they go down to Australia in Ahmedabad and finish the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a scoreline of 2-2. But for that to happen, they will have to depend on Sri Lanka.
If India lose or even draw the fourth Test, there is a chance of them getting eliminated from the WTC final race. However, in both scenarios, Sri Lanka will have to beat New Zealand 2-0 in the two-match Test series to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship. Given how strong the Kiwis are at home, the Lankans will have a tough task on hand.
India made it to the inaugural WTC final as well, which was played in Southampton in June 2021. The Virat Kohli-led side, however, stumbled at the last hurdle, going down to a clinical New Zealand by eight wickets.
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A new Test champion will be crowned this year as the Kiwis have failed to qualify for the ongoing World Test Championship. They are currently eighth in the ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023 points table, with two wins, six losses, and three draws.