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NEW DELHI: The race to the World Test Championship final is in its last leg and four teams — Australia, India, South Africa and Sri Lanka are looking to grab the two spots for the finale at Lord’s next year.
While defending champions Australia, two-time finallists India and South Africa remain strong contenders, the Lankans too have an outside chance to make it to their maiden WTC final.
Currently placed at the top in the WTC standings, South Africa have two Tests vs Pakistan at home to further cement their spot.
On the other hand, India’s WTC final hopes hinge on winning their remaining two Tests against Australia.
The matches in Melbourne and Sydney are both must-win games for India as the two wins Down Under will take them straight to the WTC Final.
However, with the current form of the batters, the two straight wins look unlikely for India in Australia and in this scenario, arch-rival Pakistan can do their neighbours a big favour with some surprising results in the Rainbow Nation.
Considering the scenario where India win one Test against Australia and other ends in a draw
If India win one match and draw the other against Australia in the ongoing BGT, their points percentage (PCT) will be 57.02 which won’t sufficient for direct qualification.
In this case, Pakistan’s can do India a big favour.
If Pakistan win at least one Test, India’s chances improve. In case of a 1-0 series win for Pakistan in South Africa, India’s chances improve considerably.
A split series outcome of 1-1 between Pakistan and South Africa would make India dependent on the Sri Lanka-Australia series result. If Australia win 2-0 in Lanka, India would miss the final.
For India to avoid dependence on the Sri Lanka-Australia series, Pakistan need a series win against South Africa.
The best case scenario for India would be if Pakistan can beat the Proteas 2-0.
However, historically, Sri Lanka is the only Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa, making Pakistan’s task a huge challenge.
If India and Australia each win one match
In this case, Pakistan must win 2-0 against South Africa. This outcome will secure India’s place in the final, even if Australia sweep the series against Sri Lanka.
In this case, India qualify ahead of South Africa.
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