How can India still qualify for the WTC Final after losing the 4th Test against Australia?

Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, suffered a 184-run loss in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This defeat has put the men from the Indian subcontinent on the backfoot in the five-match Test series by 1-2. 

Advertisment

However, India still has a chance to make it to the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, which is scheduled to take place at the Lord’s later this year. With South Africa already qualified for the marquee event, India, Australia, and Sri Lanka are still in contention to compete with the Proteas.

India, who took a massive blow after their MCG loss, is currently sitting at the third position in the WTC 2023-25 points table with 52.78 PCT%. Meanwhile, South Africa has a PCT% of 66.67 while Australia and Sri Lanka have 61.46 and 45.45 respectively.

Here is Team India’s scenario for the WTC Final qualification

Advertisment

Interestingly, the qualification scenario for Team India is quite complex. Rohit Sharma’s men have to beat the Baggy Greens in the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting on January 3 in Sydney.

Moreover, Indians have to hope that Sri Lanka defeats Australia by 2-0 in the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to start on January 29 in Galle.

If the above scenario takes place, India is expected to finish the WTC with 55.26 PCT% while Australia and Sri Lanka with a maximum of 53.51 and 53.85 respectively. 

Advertisment

However, if India loses the New Year Test in Sydney, they will be eliminated from the WTC final race. Notably, India qualified for the WTC final in the previous two instances, though they couldn’t bag the mace on both occasions. 

It’s worth noting that South Africa have already booked their spot in the WTC Final after defeating Pakistan in the first Test by two wickets at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. 

In conclusion, despite the setback in the Boxing Day Test, India still has a chance to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. The team needs to win the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and hope for favorable results in the upcoming series between Sri Lanka and Australia. With South Africa already qualified, the competition remains intense. Fans will be eagerly watching to see if India can secure their spot in the WTC Final.

For more updates and betting opportunities, visit Sky247.