The Indian cricket team has had an abysmal showing in test cricket recently. They had the WTC qualification all but guaranteed with eight games to go. However, in a shock to the entire world, the men in blue got whitewashed against New Zealand and ended up losing all three games to them despite the games being home tests. While losing these games made qualification much harder, they still had a fighting chance depending on their performance in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) test. While India has not fared too badly, their qualification chances look bleak at best after the first four BGT tests. This article talks about how India can still qualify for the WTC final.
Credit: myKhel
The Indian cricket team had some set conditions that needed to be completed alongside their performances in the BGT test. From the games that have already happened, it is now impossible for the men in blue to qualify without winning at least two test matches. The test series currently stands at 1-2 in favour of the Australian cricket team. This means that to have any chance of making it to the WTC final, India will first need to win the final test against Australia, which will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground between 3rd and 7th January 2025.
If the men in blue wins this test, they will level the test series 2-2. Despite a good performance in the BGT, this will not guarantee India a place in the final. South Africa has already managed to clinch qualification after their recent test performances, and even if the men in blue manage to draw the series against Australia, the result of the games between Sri Lanka and Australia will decide the fate of the Indian cricket team.
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There were two conditions that needed to be fulfilled for India to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final if they managed to draw the series 2-2. One of these conditions was that New Zealand could win a maximum of one match versus England. This condition was completed on 8th December 2024 when England managed to go 2-0 up against New Zealand, ensuring that New Zealand would not be able to win more than one test game against them. This means that if the men in blue does manage to level the series, the second condition will decide if India qualifies for the WTC final.
🚨 INDIA'S QUALIFICATION SCENARIO FOR WTC FINAL 🚨
– Win the SCG Test.
– SL beat AUS 1-0 or 2-0. pic.twitter.com/fzIMAyzoFY— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 30, 2024
The second condition which needs to be completed in order to allow India to participate in the WTC final against South Africa is that Sri Lanka must win the series against Australia. As this is only a two-match test series, Australia cannot win even a single game against Sri Lanka. If the men in blue manages to make it 2-2, they will need to hope that Sri Lanka can pull a masterclass against Australia and win the series either 1-0 or 2-0 without allowing Australia to win even a single game.
While these conditions mean that the Indian cricket team is not yet out of running for a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, almost all Indian fans have given up hope. They know that getting a win at SCG and then hoping that Sri Lanka wins the series against Australia is a ridiculous ask and something that is highly improbable. In all likelihood, the men in blue have more or less been knocked out of the World Test Championship and will not get the chance to participate in the final in this test cycle. The team will hope they can come back stronger and guarantee a place in the next WTC final.
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Guransh Machra is a sportswriter at Gutshot Magazine. He covers football news from local leagues like the Indian Super League as well as international leagues like the Premier League. He follows various sports like Football, Cricket, Formula 1, and Tennis. Apart from sports, Guransh is also enthusiastic about reading and gaming.
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