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Despite suffering a 0-3 defeat in the three-match Test series against New Zealand, India is still alive in the race to qualify for the WTC 2025 final.
India is still alive in race to qualify for WTC 2025 final. (Picture Credit: PTI)
After suffering a shocking 0-3 defeat in the home series against New Zealand, India has dropped to No. 2 position in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table. The Indian team, which is set to travel Australia now for a five-match Test series against the 2023 champions, needs to win four out of the remaining five matches to confirm its place in the final. Anything less than that will put India’s chances of qualifying for the WTC 2025 final dependent on the results of other teams.
As of now, apart from India, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa are in contention to finish in the top two and book a place in the final, which is scheduled to take place at Lord’s in June next year.
Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa are also set to play at least one more series in the coming months, which will bring a lot of twists and turns in the race to qualify for the WTC 2025 final.
Here’s a look at all the possible scenarios via which India can guarantee itself a spot in the top-two and qualify for the WTC 2025 final:
4-0 or 5-0 win for India
India will directly qualify for the WTC 2025 final if the Rohit Sharma-led side manages to beat Australia 4-0 or 5-0 in the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
3-1, 3-0, or 4-1 win for India
If India beat Australia by a margin of 3-1, 3-0, or 4-1 and England manages to avoid a whitewash in the three-match series against New Zealand, then India will finish in the top two and qualify for the WTC 2025 final.
2-0 win for India
India will finish in the top-two if the Rohit Sharma-led side beat Australia 2-0 and England win at least one of the three Tests against New Zealand in November-December.
3-2 win for India
If India wins the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a scoreline of 3-2, then to qualify for the WTC 2025 final, the Rohit Sharma-led side has to hope that England must win one Test against New Zealand and Sri Lanka play at least one draw in the two-match series against Australia next year.
2-1, 1-1 or 1-0 win for India
If India beat Australia 2-1 or 1-0 or the series finishes with a scoreline of 1-1, then for India to qualify for the WTC 2025 final, England has to avoid defeat in two Tests vs. New Zealand, and Sri Lanka must draw one Test against Australia.
2-2 draw
If the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ends in a 2-2 draw, then India will qualify for the WTC 2025 final if Sri Lanka win the Test series against Australia and New Zealand only win one of the three Tests against England.
2-3 defeat for India
If India lose Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a scoreline of 2-3, then India’s chances will depend on the results of Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand.
India will finish in the top two only if Sri Lanka and South Africa lose two of their remaining four matches and New Zealand only win one of the three Tests against England.
1-2, 1-3, 0-1 defeat for India or 0-0 draw
If India lose 1-2, 1-3, 0-1 against Australia or the series finishes in a 0-0 draw, then India will qualify for the WTC final if England win the Test series against New Zealand, and the other results should be Pakistan beating South Africa 2-0, Australia beating Sri Lanka 2-0, and the South Africa-Sri Lanka series ends in a 1-1 draw.
1-4, 0-2 or 0-3 defeat for India
If India concede Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a scoreline of 1-4, 0-2, or 0-3, then the Rohit Sharma-led side will qualify for the WTC 2025 final only if England whitewash New Zealand (3-0), Pakistan beat South Africa 2-0, Australia beat Sri Lanka 2-0, and the South Africa-Sri Lanka series ends in a 1-1 draw.
0-4 or 0-5 defeat for India
India will be disqualified from the WTC 2025 final race if they lose 0-4 or 0-5 against Australia in the Test series.
India has won the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy played on Australian soil with a scoreline of 2-1, and the Rohit Sharma-led side would like to complete the hat-trick this time around.
