 |
|
The World Test Championship (WTC) is heating up as the race for a spot in the final at Lord's in June 2025 intensifies. With 26 Tests remaining across ten series, India has solidified its position at the top of the table after a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka has made significant strides to challenge Australia for the second spot. The article provides a detailed analysis of the current points table and outlines the scenarios for each team in the remaining matches.
India, currently holding the top spot with a 74.24% win percentage, has three series left: three Tests against New Zealand at home and five Tests against Australia in Australia. A 3-0 victory against New Zealand followed by even a 1-4 loss against Australia could secure India's place in the final, provided South Africa loses at least one of their remaining six Tests. A 3-0 victory against New Zealand followed by even a 1-4 defeat against Australia should be enough for Rohit Sharma's men for a ticket to Lord's, provided South Africa drop points in at least one of their six remaining Tests as only one of Australia or Sri Lanka can then go past India's tally.
Sri Lanka, climbing the charts with consecutive wins against England and New Zealand, has four matches remaining. If Sri Lanka wins all four remaining Tests, they will achieve a 69.23% win percentage, which would likely secure them a top-two finish. Even a five-Test winning streak followed by a 1-1 draw against Australia at home would give Sri Lanka a 61.11% win percentage, requiring Australia to win by a margin of 3-1 or better against India to overtake them. However, the challenge for Sri Lanka will be to maintain their winning momentum, particularly in the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Australia, currently in second place, faces a crucial series against India at home and a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka. They will require at least four wins from their last seven matches to maintain a win percentage above 60%. If India beats New Zealand 3-0 and Sri Lanka wins at least one Test in South Africa, Australia would need a 5-0 or 4-0 victory against India to secure a top-two finish. The upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy will be decisive for Australia's chances, and they will need to overcome the challenge of India on home soil.
Meanwhile, New Zealand and Bangladesh face an uphill battle to qualify for the final. New Zealand, despite a strong start, has lost four consecutive Tests and would need an improbable 3-0 victory against India followed by a 3-0 whitewash of England at home to reach a 64.29% win percentage. Bangladesh, after their maiden series win in Pakistan, has suffered a setback against India and even winning their last four Tests will only take them to 56.25%. They will need other teams to stumble to have a chance of qualifying.
England, despite a slow start, has gained momentum after five consecutive wins against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home. However, their recent defeat against Australia at The Oval puts them on the edge. Winning all their remaining six Tests would give them an outside chance of qualifying, but they will need other results to go their way. South Africa, despite a generally poor performance, has three series left to play and could qualify for the final with five wins in six matches, reaching a 61.11% win percentage. However, they would need to surpass the performance of at least one of the teams currently ahead of them. Pakistan, on the other hand, faces a precarious situation after five consecutive defeats and needs a strong performance in their remaining three series to stay in contention.
With the remaining Tests promising intense competition, the race for the World Test Championship final is far from over. The upcoming matches will be crucial for determining the final two contenders, and fans can expect exciting battles as teams fight for a place at Lord's in June 2025.
Source: WTC Scenarios: India strengthen top spot; Sri Lanka chasing Australia