With less than six months to go for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), the race is heating up for a place in the final as Australia, South Africa and India are engaged in a big tug-of-war battle. While the Aussies look set for a place in the final of the WTC in June, it is the second spot in the final that has seen a big shift in the last one month. With India vs Australia Test series to come in February, the current scenario is all set for a fascinating end with Australia vs South Africa Sydney Test likely to end in a draw.
Australia vs South Africa Sydney Test likely to end draw
At the time of writing, Australia vs South Africa Sydney Test is heading towards a draw after rain played spoilsport. With less than five sessions to go and still in the middle of the first innings of South Africa, it is unlikely that any team would gain proper momentum. Usman Khawaja missed out on a double ton with an unbeaten 195 and with still two more innings to play, the match would probably end in a draw.
How will WTC standings look like if AUS vs SA Sydney Test ends in a draw?
If the Sydney Test match ends in a draw, then Australia will attend a PCT of 76 and South Africa will attend a PCT of 49. In this scenario, both Australia and India will stay in the top two of the WTC standings with the latter having a PCT of 58. Sri Lanka on the flip side will stay on PCT of 53 and will have two matches to play against New Zealand away from home in the current WTC cycle.
Current WTC Standings
What are the permutations for India to qualify for WTC final?
As things stand, the Indian team will need to win at least two matches in the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia, provided Sri Lanka fail to win both their Test matches against New Zealand. However, if Lanka end up winning the series 2-0 against the Kiwis, then India will have to win at least three matches against Australia to make the final of the WTC.
Predicted WTC Standings
India vs Sri Lanka WTC final also on cards
If India beat Australia by 4-0 and Sri Lanka beat New Zealand 2-0 in their respective Test series, India vs Sri Lanka WTC final will be on the cards. There is another scenario where South Africa and Australia can also meet in the final if India and Sri Lanka lose their respective Test series. However, in the current scenario, Australia vs India WTC final looks most likely and will take place after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season.
