Race to World Test Championship Finals: Scenarios for Different Teams
Author: Shimit Mahur
Updated At:
The World Test Championship has entered its last year and with that, a new season of Test cricket has begun. All the major teams are giving themselves a last push to reach the finals of the WTC 2023-25.
In this article, we list scenarios for different teams and how they can reach the final match at the Lord’s next year.
The top betting apps in India will have the best odds for the upcoming Test season in international cricket.
World Test Championship - Point Table
|
Rank |
Teams |
Points |
Points Percentage |
|
1 |
India |
74 |
68.52 |
|
2 |
Australia |
90 |
62.5 |
|
3 |
New Zealand |
36 |
50 |
|
4 |
Bangladesh |
33 |
45.83 |
|
5 |
Sri Lanka |
36 |
42.86 |
|
6 |
England |
81 |
42.19 |
|
7 |
South Africa |
28 |
38.89 |
|
8 |
Pakistan |
16 |
19.05 |
|
9 |
West Indies |
20 |
18.52 |
India - Best Possible Finish - 85.09%
The two finalists are leading the point table with 74 points and 68.52% points percentage. They have a strong chance to reach the third consecutive finals of the World Test Championship.
In the last final fixtures of WTC, India felt short of lifting the trophy against New Zealand and Australia. An unfavourable ending to both finals has led to some major changes in the team and in the management.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and his boys are left to play 10 more Test fixtures in the next year. Out of these 10 fixtures, 5 Test fixtures are on home soil for team India. They need 8 wins to solidify their position for the final game.
Australia - Best Possible Finish - 76.32%
The ODI World Cup 2023 champions have come out as the 2nd contender for the WTC 2023-25 final match at Lord’s. They are currently at the 2nd spot in the point table and that makes their rivalry with India a thrilling contest later this year.
The defending champions are left to play 7 Tests in the next year. However, the upcoming Border-Gavaskar trophy against India at home will be in the spotlight. If they win the series by 4-1, Pat Cummins and his boys will book a direct flight to the Lord’s.
They are also left to play 2 Test fixtures against Sri Lanka. In both cases, Australia needs to win a series to make sure they don’t lose out on the final spot.
New Zealand - Best Possible Finish - 78.57%
The winner of the first-ever World Test Championship - New Zealand, are on their way to redemption. Kiwis went through a nightmare in the 2nd cycle of WTC and they failed to qualify for the final match.
However, after some minor changes in the squad and with the help of some new faces in the red-ball, the Kiwis are back in action and they are closer to qualifying for the final match.
Unfortunately, their qualification for the final game will depend a lot on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. It’s a tricky situation but New Zealand should have their hopes high for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, India, and England.
Bangladesh - Best Possible Points - 72.92%
Bangladesh has stunned everyone with their recent performance in the red-ball format. A 2-0 win over Pakistan in away conditions has given them the required confidence for the rest of the season.
They are scheduled to tour India for a 2-match Test series and then travel to West Indies for another 2-match Test series. The chances of them travelling to the Lord’s are very bleak but a series win can give them a major advantage in the point table.
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