South Africa out of WTC final race as India thump Australia in Delhi Test

image-leb5j29nIndia won the Delhi Test convincingly [Source: AP]

In a remarkable turn of events, hosts India handed Australia a crushing six-wicket defeat in the second Test match in Delhi. 

Meanwhile, the World Test Championship standings saw a significant development with South Africa officially getting knocked out of the WTC final race after India's thumping win. 

Notably, South Africa, currently placed fourth in the points table, can reach a maximum PCT percentage of 55, which is below than the lowest that India can finish on. 

So, now, India, Australia and Sri Lanka are the only three teams fighting for the available two slots in the final slated to be played in June this year. 

Interestingly, despite being the top two teams in the standings, both India and Australia are yet to seal a berth in the final. 

Although India have consolidated their second position, taking their PCT percentage tally to 64.06, they can still miss out on playing the final if the upcoming results don't go their way and Sri Lanka manage to beat New Zealand by 2-0. 

On the other hand, Australia are also not guaranteed of a place in the final, with two straight defeats on the Indian tour significantly denting their chances. However, they can qualify even after losing 0-4 in this series only if Sri Lanka fail to whitewash the BlackCaps in their backyard. 

Therefore, the next month or so will be extremely crucial for these teams, as they will give their all to qualify for the final of WTC 2021-23 scheduled in the United Kingdom.