The Indian cricket team is currently touring Australia, where a five-match Test series is being played between the two sides. India secured a massive 295-run victory in the Perth Test, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. The second Test, a pink-ball match, will be played at the Adelaide Oval starting Friday, December 6. Meanwhile, there’s some great news for India in the context of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
In the first Test of the England-New Zealand series, England registered a commanding 8-wicket win over New Zealand. This result has slightly simplified India’s equation for reaching the WTC final. But what has doubled the excitement for Indian fans is another piece of news following this result.
Tough Punishment for New Zealand and England
During the Christchurch Test, both New Zealand and England were penalized for a slow over-rate. The ICC has fined both teams 15% of their match fees and deducted 3 WTC points each. This deduction has significantly benefited India.
Before the Perth Test, India needed to win the series 4-0 against Australia to comfortably qualify for the WTC final. However, following this penalty, a 3-0 series win will also be sufficient for India to reach the final. This means India now needs to secure at least two wins in the remaining four Tests.
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India’s Road to the WTC Final
- If India wins the series against Australia by a margin of 3-0, 4-0, 4-1, or 5-0, they will directly qualify for the WTC final.
- Even with a 3-1 series win, India will have a strong chance, provided Sri Lanka defeats South Africa in their second Test.
- If India wins the series 3-2, they will still remain in contention. However, they will need Sri Lanka to secure at least one draw in their home Test series against Australia.
- In the event of a 2-2 series draw against Australia, India will still have a slight chance. For this to happen, South Africa must defeat Sri Lanka in the second Test, and Sri Lanka must win their home Test series against Australia.
India Tops the WTC Points Table
As per the latest WTC points table, India currently occupies the top spot. India has played 15 matches, with 9 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw, earning them 110 points and a points percentage of 61.11%. India still has 4 matches to play, all against Australia.
South Africa is in second place with 64 points from 9 matches (5 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw), with a points percentage of 59.26%. Australia is third with a points percentage of 57.69% from 13 matches. Sri Lanka is in fourth place, followed by New Zealand in fifth.
England, Pakistan, West Indies, and Bangladesh occupy the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth positions, respectively, and are out of the race for the final.