WTC Points Table: India’s final qualification scenario explained after Australia beat India in 3rd Test of BGT

India’s chances of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship Final suffered a setback as Australia secured a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the third Border-Gavaskar Test in Indore on Friday. The result has put India’s hopes of making the final in serious jeopardy, with the team now needing to win the fourth and final Test to keep their dreams alive.

Australia, under the leadership of Steve Smith in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins, secured their place in the World Test Championship Final with their eleventh victory in eighteen matches during the 2021-23 cycle of the Championship.

Meanwhile, India’s Points Percentage (PCT) dropped from 64.06 to 60.29, as they suffered their fifth defeat in 17 matches during the 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle. This latest setback has been a major blow to their hopes of making it to the final of the tournament.

India now needs to secure a victory in their final match of the series to qualify for the championship finale without relying on the results of Sri Lanka, the only other team still in contention for the grand finale at the Oval in England in June.

A victory in Ahmedabad will enable Rohit Sharma’s team to finish with a winning percentage of 62.5, which will be sufficient to stave off the threat of Sri Lanka, who can potentially reach a maximum winning percentage of 61.11 during their tour of New Zealand, commencing on March 9.

How can India qualify for the WTC final?

Beat Australia 3-1, finishing with 135 points and a PCT of 62.5.

If India concedes a 2-2 or 2-1 finish to Australia, it can attain a maximum of 127 points and a PCT of 58.79. In this case, Sri Lanka has the potential to surpass India and join Australia in the final if they defeat New Zealand 2-0 and finish with a 61.11 PCT. Consequently, India’s fate lies in the hands of Sri Lanka’s performance against New Zealand.

The fourth Test between India and Australia, and the first Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, will both commence on March 9th.

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