Image: India must win the Sydney Test to stay in contention for the WTC final / © Cricket.com
India has looked to be in a precarious position in the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. With only one match remaining against Australia in Sydney, India’s hopes rest on securing a win to stay in contention. Here’s a breakdown of the possible scenarios for India, Australia, and Sri Lanka:
| 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 |
India needs a victory in Sydney to stay in the WTC final race. A win would push their percentage points to 55.26, enough to finish second if Australia were to draw no more than one of their upcoming Tests in Sri Lanka. A draw, however, would see India drop to 51.75, eliminating them from contention.
Australia’s situation is largely in their hands. A win in Sydney will confirm their place in the WTC final, regardless of their series result in Sri Lanka. A draw keeps them ahead of India but opens a window for Sri Lanka if they win 2-0 against Australia. A loss in Sydney would require Australia to win at least one match in Sri Lanka to qualify.
Sri Lanka can only qualify if Australia draws in Sydney and they manage to win 2-0 against Australia at home. This would place them at 53.85 percentage points, narrowly edging out both India and Australia.