New Delhi: South Africa’s recent overwhelming 233-run victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test match in Durban has dented the chances of cricket fans to witness another India vs Australia match in the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year.
The win has helped the Proteas to move to the second spot in the updated WTC 2023-2025 standings, displacing Australia to the third spot. With five wins, three defeats, and one draw, South Africa now hold 64 points along with a win per cent of 59.26, bettering Australia’s 57.59 win per cent.
India occupies the top spot with 61.11 win per cent and 110 points. The likes of Sri Lanka and New Zealanda are also contenders for the WTC final spot. The race to the WTC final gets interesting with all contenders currently involved in contest against each other.
Why India and Australia might find it difficult to lock horns in WTC final 2023-2025
India and Australia are currently playing in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under with the visitors registering an emphatic 295-run in Perth to start the crucial series on a high note. India can’t concede a defeat to Australia as they need to win the five-match series by heavy margins of 4-0 or 5-0. If India manages to achieve the daunting task, it would imminently push Australia drastically down the WTC ladder, and vice versa.
South Africa has three more Test matches left, including a two-match series against Pakistan in December-January window. If the Temba Bavuma-led side is successful in winning all three matches then they will automatically seal one of the spots for the WTC finals.
Australia and Sri Lanka will also play a two-match Test series in January-February period in 2025, which will determine the final standings of the WTC. India won’t get another shot for contention other than the Border Gavaskar Trophy in case they lose heavily.
Updated WTC points Table
Position
Teams
Played
Won
Lost
Draw
DED
Points
PCT
1
India
15
9
5
1
2
110
61.11
2
South Africa
9
5
3
1
0
64
59.26
3
Australia
13
8
4
1
10
90
57.59
4
New Zealand
11
6
5
0
0
72
54.55
5
Sri Lanka
10
5
5
0
0
60
50
6
England
19
9
9
1
19
93
40.79
7
Pakistan
10
4
6
0
8
40
33.33
8
West Indies
10
2
6
2
0
32
26.67
9
Bangladesh
11
3
8
0
3
33
25
India and Australia will play the second Test in Adelaide between December 6 and 10 while South Africa and Sri Lanka will play their second Test from December 5 to 9 in Gqeberha.
South Africa’s recent overwhelming 233-run victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test match in Durban has dented the chances of cricket fans to witness another India vs Australia match in the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
