India’s hopes of playing in the World Test Championship final have taken a major hit after the loss in Melbourne. India, who were in the top position three matches ago, have now dropped to third place with a PCT of 52.78% following the Melbourne Test. South Africa has already qualified for the final, and Australia, with a PCT of 61.46%, is the top contender to become the second finalist.
India has only one match left in this WTC cycle, which will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, there is still a very slim chance for India to qualify for the World Test Championship. There is a scenario where India can climb to second place, pushing the Aussies out of the top two spots.
The Scenario That Can Take India to the WTC 2025 Final
First, India must defeat Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as a loss in this match would eliminate them from the race and confirm Australia’s place in the final. After winning the SCG Test, India will need to rely on Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka loses even one match in their two-match series against Australia, India will be out, and Australia will qualify.
The ideal result for India in the Australia vs Sri Lanka series would be Sri Lanka winning 1-0. Alternatively, if both matches between Sri Lanka and Australia end in draws, India and Australia will both have a win percentage of 55.26%. In this scenario, India will qualify for the WTC 2025 final because they have won more series than Australia in this WTC cycle—India has won three, while Kangaroos have managed only two.
Talking about Sri Lanka’s chances, they depend on the result of the SCG Test. If the 5th Test between Australia and India ends in a draw, and Sri Lanka defeats Australia 2-0 in their Test series, they will make it to the WTC final.
