Virat Kohli, Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma (Source:@AP)
India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) Final is hanging by a thread following 184-run defeat against Australia in the recently concluded fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne on Monday (December 30). South Africa has already secured their spot in the WTC Final.
Now, for India, the road will be tough ahead, and to make it to Lord’s for the highly-anticipated final, India will need a combination of favourable results. Following the win, Australia are currently placed second in the points table with 118 points and a point percentage (PCT) of 61.46. And India’s current PCT stands at 52.78%, with 114 points.
The first scenario that is most favourable for India is that if Rohit Sharma and Co. manage to win the final Test in Sydney, and Sri Lanka holds Australia and draw their two-match series, then India will leapfrog the Australia to finish second in the WTC points table and can qualify for the final.
Is it possible that both India and Australia finish with same PCT at the end of the current WTC cycle? The answer will be Yes. So, in this article, let's look at how this scenario is possible.
What Happens If India And Australia End With Same PCT?
Despite all the odds, there is a chance in which both India and Australia can finish the WTC cycle with identical points. Here’s how that can be possible:
- Australia is currently on 118 points, and with three matches remaining (one against India in Sydney and two against Sri Lanka), they could finish on a maximum of 154 points if they win all three of their remaining games. A win in any of these fixtures would guarantee Australia a spot in the final.
- However, if India defeat Australia in Sydney and the latter draw the Sri Lanka series by 0-0, both teams would end up on 126 points, giving them an identical PCT of 55.26%. In this unlikely scenario, the deciding factor would not be the points percentage, but the number of series wins each team has recorded throughout the cycle.
How Can India Still Qualify For WTC 2025 Final?
According to the ICC Playing Conditions for the 2023-25 WTC cycle, if two teams finish with the same PCT, the number of series wins will be the tiebreaker. If India and Australia end up on equal points and PCT, India would progress to the final based on their higher number of series victories.
However, it is important to note that, India’s series victories have come against West Indies, England, and Bangladesh. On the other hand, Australia, has won just two series in New Zealand and against Pakistan.