Image: Australia's strong performance has dented India’s hopes of qualifying for the WTC final / © Times of India
The hopes of making it to the World Test Championship (WTC) Finals for the Indian team suffered a setback after Australia defeated India by 184 runs in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the MCG. This victory secured Australia’s position in the WTC Final, as they moved to second place in the standings with 118 points and a percentage of 61.46%.
South Africa, who are at the top of the standings with 66.67%, had already qualified for the final. India, with 114 points and a percentage of 52.78%, remain in third place, and will now need Sri Lanka to overtake them, even if they win the Sydney Test.
| Team | M | W | L | D | PT | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 88 | 66.67 |
| AUS | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 118 | 61.46 |
| IND | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 114 | 52.78 |
| NZ | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 81 | 48.21 |
| SL | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 60 | 45.45 |
| ENG | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 114 | 43.18 |
| BAN | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 45 | 31.25 |
| PAK | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 40 | 30.30 |
| WI | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 32 | 24.24 |
Australia’s triumph in Melbourne gave them a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, with the final match set to take place in Sydney on January 3. India, who started the series with a win in Perth, struggled after losing the second Test in Adelaide and a draw at the Gabba. The Melbourne defeat, where India collapsed from 112/3 to 155 all out, sealed their fate, making it a crucial setback in their pursuit of a third consecutive WTC Final appearance.