ICC World Test Championship Standings:
The second match of the Test series between India and Australia was played at Adelaide Oval. India's team faced a ten-wicket defeat in this match played with the pink ball. The host team was given a target of 19 runs, which they achieved quite comfortably. The third Test match between the two teams will start on December 14 (Saturday) at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Team India's growing concerns post-Adelaide defeat
Following the defeat in the Adelaide Test, the Indian team's position in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table took a significant hit, now dropping to third place. Prior to this match, India was at the top, but they have now been surpassed by South Africa. Meanwhile, Australia has moved to the first position following this victory.
Australia, currently holding the first position, has secured 102 points from 9 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw in 14 matches, with a point percentage of 60.71. South Africa, in second place, has 64 points from 5 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw in 9 matches, boasting a 59.26 percentage, presently higher than India's.
The Indian team has 110 points from 9 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw in 16 matches, with a percentage now dropped to 57.29. India still has 3 matches to play, all against Australia. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is fourth, England fifth, and New Zealand sixth. Pakistan, the West Indies, and Bangladesh hold the seventh, eighth, and ninth spots, respectively. New Zealand, England, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the West Indies are entirely out of the race for the finals.
Thus, only four teams—India, Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka—remain in the finals race. Before the start of the Adelaide Test, India required a 3-0 series win against Australia to smoothly secure a place in the WTC final. Now, the equation has become slightly more challenging. India will need to win the series by a 4-1 margin to ensure an easy entry to the finals.
The scenario for India now looks like this:
1. If India wins the Test series against Australia by a 4-1 margin, they will undoubtedly reach the WTC final.
2.
In a scenario where India wins the series 3-1 against Australia, they still stand a great chance, but they must hope for Sri Lanka to defeat South Africa in the second Test.
3.
Winning the series 3-2 against Australia also presents an opportunity for India. However, in such a case, they need Sri Lanka to at least draw one match in the home Test series against Australia.
4.
If the series ends in a 2-2 tie with Australia, India's chances remain, although minimal. In this situation, if South Africa defeats Sri Lanka in the second Test and Sri Lanka manages to win the Test series against Australia, India will secure their spot in the final.
Source: aajtak
This is the third cycle of the World Test Championship, which runs from 2023 to 2025. The ICC had already released the rules related to the points system for this cycle. Teams earn 12 points for a Test win, 4 points for a draw, and 6 points for a tie.
When a match is won, 100% points are awarded; a tie results in 50%, a draw gives 33.33%, and zero points are assigned for a loss. A series with two matches offers a total of 24 points, while a five-match series provides up to 60 points. The ranking on the points table is primarily determined by the win percentage. The final of the current WTC cycle will be played at the iconic Lord's from 11th to 15th June next year.
