India Must Win in Sydney to Keep Hope Alive for WTC Final

India Must Win in Sydney to Keep Hope Alive for WTC Final

South Africa became the first side to qualify for the WTC finals after a tense two wicket win against Pakistan in Centurion.

South Africa's mesmerising two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion has secured their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final this June. Meanwhile, Australia's win at the MCG puts them leading for the second spot, although India and Sri Lanka still have a chance. Here's a breakdown of what each team needs to do to qualify.

Australia
Percent: 61.46; matches remaining: India (1 home Test), SL (2 away)

If Australia wins the Sydney Test against India, they will qualify for the WTC final, no matter what happens in Sri Lanka. Even if Australia wins in Sydney but loses both Tests in Sri Lanka, they would end up with 57.02 percentage points, compared to India's 50 and Sri Lanka's 53.85.

If the match in Sydney ends in a draw, Australia will still be ahead of India, but Sri Lanka could still catch up. If Australia draws in Sydney and then loses both Tests in Sri Lanka, their percentage would drop to 53.51, while Sri Lanka would rise to 53.85.

If Australia loses in Sydney, they will need to win at least one Test in Sri Lanka to qualify. If they end up with a 1-1 result in Sri Lanka after losing in Sydney, Australia will have 57.02 percentage points, while India will have 55.26.

India
Percent: 52.78; matches remaining: Australia (1 away)

India needs to win in Sydney to keep their hopes alive for the WTC final. If they win, their points will go up to 55.26, which is enough for them to be in second place, as long as Australia doesn’t get more than one draw in their matches in Sri Lanka. In that scenario, Australia would drop to 53.51 points, while Sri Lanka would end up with 48.72 points if they win 1-0.

On the other hand, if India can only manage a draw, their points will go down to 51.75, and they will be out of the WTC final race. This is because even if Australia loses both Tests in Sri Lanka and draws in Sydney, they would still have 53.51 points, while Sri Lanka would rise to 53.85 points.

Sri Lanka
Percent: 45.45; matches remaining: Australia (2 home)

Sri Lanka can only qualify if the Test match in Sydney ends in a draw and they then win against Australia by 2-0. If this happens, Sri Lanka would have a score of 53.85, placing them above Australia, which would have 53.51, and India, which would have 51.75.

If India wins in Sydney, Sri Lanka will be out of the competition. Also, if Australia wins and takes a 3-1 lead in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they will stay ahead of Sri Lanka.

WTC Points Table: