The Road to the WTC Final: What Australia, India, and Sri Lanka Must Do to Qualify
CricketPanditWorld Test Championship (2023-2025) – Points Table
| Pos | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | NR | Points | PCT | ||
| 1Q | South Africa | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 66.670 | ||
| 2 | Australia | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 118 | 61.460 | ||
| 3 | India | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 114 | 52.780 | ||
| 4 | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 48.210 | ||
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 45.450 | ||
| 6 | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 114 | 43.180 | ||
| 7 | Bangladesh | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 31.250 | ||
| 8 | Pakistan | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 30.300 | ||
| 9 | West Indies | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 24.240 |
In the WTC 2023-2025, teams will get 12 points for a win, 4 for a draw and 6 for a tie. Points percentage system (PCT) will be used to determine the leaderboard. PCT = Points won by a team / Points contested * 100.
South Africa’s thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Centurion has secured their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final this June. Meanwhile, Australia’s triumph at the MCG positions them as the leading contender for the second spot, although India and Sri Lanka still have a chance. Here’s a breakdown of what each team needs to do to qualify.
Australia
Percent: 61.46; matches remaining: India (1 home Test), SL (2 away)
If Australia wins the Sydney Test against India, they will advance to the WTC final, regardless of the outcomes in Sri Lanka. Even if they win in Sydney but lose both Tests in Sri Lanka, they would end up with 57.02 percentage points, compared to India’s 50 and Sri Lanka’s 53.85. A draw in Sydney would keep them ahead of India, but it would allow Sri Lanka a chance to qualify; if Australia draws in Sydney and loses both Tests in Sri Lanka, they would finish at 53.51, while Sri Lanka would rise to 53.85. Should Australia lose in Sydney, they would need to secure at least one win in Sri Lanka to qualify. A 1-1 result in Sri Lanka after a loss in Sydney would leave Australia at 57.02, while India would be at 55.26. If Australia draws both Tests in Sri Lanka after losing in Sydney, they and India would be tied at 55.26, but India would qualify due to having more series wins in this WTC cycle.
India
Percent: 52.78; matches remaining: Australia (1 away)
India must win in Sydney to keep their hopes alive for the WTC final. A victory would elevate India to 55.26, which would be sufficient for them to secure second place if Australia manages no more than two draws in Sri Lanka. As noted earlier, if Australia draws both Tests, they would finish level with India on percentage, but India would advance due to having more series wins in this cycle. If Australia loses 1-0, they would drop to 53.51, while Sri Lanka would end with 48.72 (with a 1-0 win). However, if India can only manage a draw, they would fall to 51.75 and be eliminated from the WTC final race.Even if Australia were to lose both Tests in Sri Lanka after drawing in Sydney, they would still end up with a score of 53.51, while Sri Lanka would rise to 53.85.
Sri Lanka
Percent: 45.45; matches remaining: Australia (2 home)
Sri Lanka can only qualify if the Sydney Test ends in a draw and they manage to beat Australia 2-0. In that scenario, Sri Lanka would finish with 53.85, placing them above Australia (53.51) and India (51.75).
If India wins in Sydney, they will eliminate Sri Lanka from contention. Additionally, Australia will definitely finish ahead of Sri Lanka if they achieve a 3-1 result in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
BY CRICKET PANDIT
