India's chances of making it to the WTC final hang in the balance after a heavy defeat against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia defeated India by 184 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Chasing a target of 340 runs in 92 overs on the fifth day, India was bowled out for just 155 runs in 79.1 overs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was the top scorer for India with a resilient 84 runs off 208 balls, but he found little support from the other end.
The experienced trio of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli failed to make an impact and were dismissed in the first session for scores of nine off 40 balls, a duck, and five off 29 balls, respectively.
India’s crushing defeat, witnessed by over 50,000 fans at the MCG, dealt a significant blow to their hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
However, despite the setback, India, currently ranked No. 3 in the points table with a PCT% of 52.78, still has a chance to reach the final at Lord’s next year.
For India to qualify, they must defeat Australia in the fifth Test, starting on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Additionally, India will need Sri Lanka to beat Australia 2-0 or 1-0 in the two-match Test series starting on January 29, 2025, in Galle.
If these results occur, India will finish the WTC 2023-25 cycle with a PCT% of 55.26, while Australia would finish with a maximum of 53.51 PCT%, and Sri Lanka with a maximum of 53.85 PCT%.
However, if India lose the New Year Test or if it ends in a draw, they will be knocked out of contention for the third consecutive WTC final.
In the event that India defeat Australia in Sydney but Australia win at least one Test in Sri Lanka, India will also miss out on qualification.
Meanwhile, South Africa secured its place in the WTC final for the first time on Sunday, December 29, by defeating Pakistan by two wickets in the first Test of their two-match series at SuperSport Park in Centurion.