The race for the World Test Championship (WTC) will have a decisive weekend as India and Australia battle it out in the Nagpur Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While India are favourites to clinch the match and thereby cement their place in the final, the Aussies will still be optimistic to win or draw the contest. So how will the WTC standings look like if either team secures the win or the contest ends in a draw?
What happens if India win?
At the end of Day 2, India had established a healthy lead and gained the upper hand. A win for India in the Nagpur Test will see them reach on Win Percent (PTC) of 62 in 15 matches. This will mean Rohit Sharma’s men will be clear of Sri Lanka, who are third in the standings with a PCT of 63. While South Africa are further down the pecking order at a PCT of 48.
Australia to reach WTC final with win?
India will look to dent the Aussies chances of reaching the WTC final, but if the Aussies win the Nagpur Test somehow, they will have the icing on the cake. A win will see Australia qualify for the WTC final with a PTC of 77 while a defeat for India will see them on a PTC of 55 and will sit just above Sri Lanka with a PTC of 53.
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What will a draw mean?
A draw in the Nagpur Test will be an outside-the-box context as we expect a result in the match. A draw in the match will see India reach a PCT of 57 while Australia will attend a PCT of 73. In this case, both Australia and India will be in the top two, but with Sri Lanka and South Africa hot on the heels, a draw will be tough to take for India rather than Australia.
