The ICC World Test Championship Final Qualification Scenario for India is a series win or at least a 2-2 draw against Australia in the ongoing Test series.
Now play 5 player fantasy cricket on Striker Club
The second edition of the World Test Championship is about to reach its climax with only a few series left. Notably, all eyes will be on the four-match Test series between India and Australia starting from February 9. South Africa is about to host West Indies while Sri Lanka will play two Tests on their New Zealand tour, but their fate will depend on the result of IND vs AUS Test series.
Australia vs SA 3rd Test ends in a draw
The third and final Test of the three-match series between Australia and South Africa ended in a draw. The Proteas, led by Dean Elgar, have hurt their chances to make it to the final of the World Test Championship but the Sydney Test ending in a draw has certainly kept them alive. After the Australia tour that saw them lose the series 2-0, rain played spoilsport in Sydney and perhaps helped South Africa.
Currently, they are sitting at the fourth position in the points table with 48.72%. If South Africa manages to win both their home Tests against West Indies, then their percentage will go up to 55.56. However, to make it to the final, they will have to depend on the series results of the Test series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand & India and Australia.
Can Australia qualify?
Yes. Perhaps, more or less Australia have qualified for the final of the World Test Championship. They are currently sitting pretty at the top of the points table with 10 wins from 15 matches and a percentage of 75.56.
The only way they will be knocked out of the WTC Final race is if they lose all four Test matches against India and Sri Lanka win both their Test matches against New Zealand. While Australia’s poor record in India makes it tough for them to avoid a 4-0 scenario, with all due respect, it seems tough for Sri Lanka to break New Zealand’s impregnable record at home in Tests.
Also, to not depend on any other results in terms of their qualification, Australia will only have to at least draw a Test match in India.
India take 2-0 Lead over Bangladesh
Meanwhile, India have definitely bettered the scenario for themselves with a thumping 2-0 series win over Bangladesh away from home. The team was in trouble on multiple occasions but they found several players who bailed them out of it successfully winning the series 2-0 against Bangladesh.
Cheteshwar Pujara, India’s number three, was the hero of the series scoring 222 runs at an average of 74 in four innings. Shreyas Iyer also batted well for India ending as the second-highest run-getter of the series. He scored 202 runs in three innings at an average of 101.
With the ball, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were the heroes picking up 8 wickets each at an average of 23.81 and 14.12 respectively. Notably, Kuldeep Yadav played only one Test and still managed 8 wickets in two innings. He was unlucky to be left out in favour of Jaydev Unadkat in the final Test on the basis of the conditions on offer.
What does India need to do to qualify for the World Test Championship final?
India are currently in the second position in the points table with 58.93%. Their recent 2-0 win over Bangladesh has only helped their cause and made things easy. Even South Africa’s 2-0 series loss in Australia has also given them some breathing space in terms of WTC final qualification.
In order to qualify for the second consecutive WTC final, India will have to win the upcoming Test series against Australia by 3-1 or better margin. If this happens, then they will not have to depend on the results of any other series. A 3-1 series win will take them to 62.5% and other sides will not be able to go past them at all.
A 4-0 series win, the result that cannot be ruled out as of yet, will take Rohit Sharma-led team India to 68.06% which is huge. However, the percentage will come down to a massive 56.94 if the Test series between India and Australia ends in a 2-2 draw.
If the series ends 2-2 and Sri Lanka beat New Zealand 2-0 in the two-match series, India will be knocked out. Interestingly, India can qualify for the WTC final even with a 2-2 draw if Sri Lanka doesn’t win the series in New Zealand. However, if the series ends in a 1-1 draw and South Africa beat West Indies 2-0 at home, then India will finish outside the top two.
This makes it clear that South Africa will only come into the picture if India earns less than 21 points from the series against Australia. Also, India needs at least two wins against Australia and Sri Lanka to not win against New Zealand by 2-0 to make it to the WTC final. However, to not depend on any other series results, Rohit Sharma and his men need to win the four-match series against Australia by a 3-1 or better margin.
World Test Championship points table
| POS | TEAM | PCT (%) | PTS |
| 1 | AUS | 75.56 | 136 |
| 2 | IND | 58.93 | 99 |
| 3 | SL | 53.33 | 64 |
| 4 | SA | 48.72 | 76 |
| 5 | ENG | 46.97 | 124 |
| 6 | WI | 40.91 | 54 |
| 7 | PAK | 38.1 | 64 |
| 8 | NZ | 27.27 | 36 |
| 9 | BAN | 11.11 | 16 |
As far as the World Test Championship points table is concerned, Australia are at the top of the pile with 75.56%. They have won 10 out of 15 matches played in this WTC cycle and are left with the series against India away from home. India are in the second position currently with 58.93% and is well within reach of making the WTC final having won 8 out of 14 matches they’ve played so far.
Sri Lanka have surprisingly played in this cycle of WTC. They are in third place and irrespective of the fact that they make it to the WTC final or not, the team led by Dimuth Karunaratne should be proud of their effort. They are boasting of 53.33% in the points table at the moment.
Before the series against Australia away from home, South Africa were well placed in terms of making it to the WTC final. But a 2-0 loss in the three-match series has brought them down to 48.72 and at fourth place hurting their chances of playing the WTC final.
England might have 124 points to their name but they have played so many Test matches and also lost a lot, they are out of the race to qualify for the WTC final. Their 46.97% has led them to fifth place in the table. West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh are the next four teams in the table.
The winners of the inaugural World Test Championship edition, New Zealand have been pretty poor this time around. They won only two out of 11 matches thus far and have only 27.27% due to which they are languishing at 8th place. Bangladesh could register only a solitary win in this WTC cycle that has kept them at ninth and last place in the points table.
FAQs
What is the World Test Championship 2023 final venue?
The Oval in London has been finalised as the venue for World Test Championship 2023 final.
What is India WTC 2023 upcoming schedule?
India’s WTC 2023 upcoming schedule is the four-match Test series against Australia at home starting from February 9.
Can England qualify for WTC final 2023?
England have an outside chance of sneaking into the final but for that to happen, they need India and Sri Lanka to lose all their remaining matches and South Africa to not draw more than two matches.
Can South Africa qualify for the WTC final?
Yes, South Africa can still qualify for the WTC final but for that to happen, they need to win both their home Tests against West Indies, Sri Lanka to not win more than one Test against New Zealand and India to not 21 or more points from their series against Australia.
