New Zealand qualified for World Test Championship finals, Will India make it to?
Know all the equations of India, England, and Australia’s chances into the WTC finals
New Zealand recently became the first team to qualify for the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship. New Zealand entered the finals after Cricket Australia announced postponement of South Africa tour, where they were scheduled to play 3 Test matches.
Australia’s chances to play the World Test Championship final have taken a big hit after they have postponed the South Africa series due to COVID-19 fears. They have to depend on the results of the India-England ongoing Test series to have a chance at the inaugural WTC finals. India is currently at the top of the World Test Championship table with 71.7 percentage points (PCT). New Zealand has 70 PCT points, and it is certain that the second-ranked team in the WTC points table won’t have more than 70 points. New Zealand does not have any more Test series to play before the finals take place at the iconic Lord’s ground.
The Aussies are positioned at the third spot with a PCT of 69.2 but they won’t be able to leapfrog New Zealand after the postponement of the 3-Test series in South Africa.
England and India have their destiny in their own hands as they are playing a 4 match Test series, which is also the last assignment of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. The first match between India and England is underway currently in Chennai.
What would India require to qualify for World Test Championships final?
For India, the equation is straightforward. They have to win at least 2 matches from the series. They can qualify even they lose 1 match and draw one in the home series. Even a 2-1 result will do the trick for them.
If Virat’s team loses 2 matches from the series, they will be knocked out from the WTC final race. India needs to win the series 4-0, 3-0, 3-1, 2-1, 2-0 to enter the finals.
Read more: Defence manufacturing in India, A look into how India is developing into a self-reliant nation
Who amongst these will give #TeamIndia their third wicket of the day? 🤔🤔@Paytm #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/Wc7pD9gU4c
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2021
England’s equation
England team needs to win big against the in-form Indians who were able to defeat Australians at their home without their full strength. It would take a lot of effort for England to win the series. They would need to win at least 3 matches and lose just one or win the series 4-0, 3-1, 3-0 to make it into the finals.
Australia’s equation
Aussies would hope that none of the above-mentioned possibilities become a reality. If India-England series is drawn, then Australia would qualify to play the finals. If India loses more than 2 matches or England doesn’t win at least 3 matches, Aussies will have a chance at playing the Lord’s final.
After the COVID-19 disruptions in the Test matches calendar, the International Cricket Council had restructured the World Test Championship qualification system by introducing PCT to determine the standings. Matches that were cancelled due to coronavirus are considered null and void. Earlier, all the teams were scheduled to play an equal number of Test matches with 120 points for every series. But due to COVID-19 some teams were not to play as many matches as other teams. So, the PTC system was brought to choose the top two for the WTC final in a fair manner.
The final of the World Test Championship is going to be played at England’s iconic Lord’s Cricket ground from June 18 to June 22 with 23 acting as a reserve day. It was earlier scheduled from June 10 to June 14 at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Have a news story, an interesting write-up or simply a suggestion? Write to us at info@oneworldnews.com
