The second match of the Test series between South Africa and Sri Lanka unfolded at St. George's Park, Gqeberha. The host team, South Africa, clinched a 109-run victory. Sri Lanka had a target of 348 runs but ended their second innings at 238 runs on the fifth day (December 9), resulting in a 2-0 series triumph for South Africa.
South Africa now tops the chart...
This blistering win against Sri Lanka has significantly boosted South Africa's standings in the World Test Championship (WTC). The African team now leads the WTC points table. They have secured 76 points from 6 wins, 3 losses, and a draw in 10 matches, with a point percentage of 63.33, surpassing Australia.
Meanwhile, the Australian team has slipped to second place, garnering 102 points from 9 wins, 4 losses, and a draw in 14 matches, with a point percentage of 60.71. Currently, India stands third with 110 points from 9 wins, 6 losses, and a draw from 16 matches, yielding a 57.29-point percentage. India still has three more matches to play, all against Australia.
Despite their defeat, Sri Lanka holds the fourth position, but their chances of reaching the final have nearly vanished. With 45.45 percent points, they can achieve a maximum of 53.85 percent. England stands fifth, and New Zealand sixth, while Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the West Indies are placed seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively. These teams are now out of the race for the final.
Source: aajtak
The equation for India now...
For South Africa, the path to the final now seems straightforward. They'll face Pakistan at home in a two-match Test series. Winning just one match will secure their place in the WTC final. However, the situation has become tougher for India. To reach the final, India must achieve a 4-1 series victory against Australia.
In simpler terms, India has to win their remaining three matches to achieve a 63.15 percent point score. However, if India loses even a single Test, their point percentage will drop to 57.89. In such a scenario, they would need to rely on Pakistan to beat South Africa 2-0 and Sri Lanka to defeat Australia 2-0 or 1-0 at home, or for both Tests to end in draws.
It is worth noting that this is the third cycle of the World Test Championship, which spans from 2023 to 2025. ICC had already released rules associated with the points system for this cycle. Winning a Test grants a team 12 points, a draw yields 4 points, and a tie confers 6 points.
Additionally, a team's win percentage of 100 gets tallied, while a tie results in 50%, a draw accords 33.33%, and a loss adds zero points. A two-match series offers a total of 24 points, while a five-match series offers 60 points. Rankings in the points table primarily rely on win percentage. The final of the current WTC cycle will be held at the iconic Lord's, referred to as the Mecca of Cricket, from June 11 to 15 next year.
