World Test Championship – Latest standings and scenarios for India to qualify for the final
India went into the four-match Test series against Australia as underdogs and were made even more so after the debacle in the first Test in Adelaide and the flurry of injuries they faced. However, India battled hard and faced adversity with grit and determination to ensure they were down and out. Ably led by stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, they came back from 1-0 down to take the series 2-1.
The series was also very important for India with regard to the World Test Championship. With just one more series to go, against England at home, India will fancy their chances of making it to the final of the championship which will be held in June at the Lord’s Cricket Stadium. They are currently top of the table in terms of percentage points which is the new criteria for the WTC due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current standings
| Position | Team | PCT% | Points | Series | Won | Lost | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 71.7 | 430 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 70 | 420 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Australia | 69.2 | 332 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| 4 | England | 65.2 | 352 | 5* | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | South Africa | 40 | 144 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 30.7 | 166 | 4.5 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 19 | 80 | 4* | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 8 | West Indies | 11.1 | 40 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
How can India get to the WTC final?
India are currently on 71.67% with the win and will need 80 more points against England. They can do that with a 2-0 series score-line in the four Tests. A 3-1 series win would also suffice.
The other teams in contention are Australia, New Zealand and England. For Australia to get through to the final, they’ll have to at least win two and draw one in their three-match series against South Africa that has been planned. For New Zealand to qualify, other results would have to go their way but it looks likely that they would make it because one of India or England is likely to fall due to a series being played between them. England will have to beat India by a 3-0 scoreline to qualify for the final, provided they win the second Test against Sri Lanka beginning this Friday.
Nevin Clinton
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