After suffering an embarrassing defeat in the 4th test in front of 60K fans at the MCG the chance of India qualifying for the final of The World Test Championship (WTC) which will take place at Lord’s in June next year.
On Day 5 India was chasing a total of 340 runs and in the first session they were in a strong position from where they could draw the match, but the Australian bowlers managed to collapse the Indian batting lineup and wrapped things before 80 overs.
Qualification scenario for India
For India to reach the WTC final, Rohit Sharma’s team must win the fifth Test against Australia, starting on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They also need Sri Lanka to defeat Australia 2-0 or 1-0 in their two-match Test series, which begins on January 29, 2025, in Galle.
However, if India loses the New Year Test or if it ends in a draw, Rohit Sharma’s team will be eliminated from the competition to qualify for the third consecutive WTC final.
If India defeats Australia in Sydney and Australia wins at least one Test in Sri Lanka, India will be eliminated.
Who will join South Africa at Lord's in June 2025? #WTC scenarios 👉 https://t.co/JHhtCaLIZ9 pic.twitter.com/Vbe6vJew7W
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 30, 2024
A series defeat will result in the exclusion of India from the race for the final of the WTC 2025.
Qualification scenario for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has won 5 matches out of 10 matches in the WTC cycle 2024-25, they have remaining two matches against Australia in the home series.
If Sri Lanka white-wash Australia 2-0 in the home series they’ll end up in second place if:
Sydney produces a draw.
South Africa secured a place in the final after defeating Pakistan in the first test at Centurion on Sunday, the final is set to take place at Lord’s from June 11-15 next year, only India Australia and Sri Lanka are left fighting for the other spot. South Africa is the fourth team to reach the WTC final after defending champions Australia (2023), India (2021-2023), and New Zealand (2021).
Read more: South Africa Reach WTC Final After Holding off Abbas Inspired Pakistan
Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
