Rain has been the constant villain amid the race to the WTC finals during the ongoing IND vs AUS contest at Brisbane. The two constant rivals in the longest format of the game, as the finalists from the previous WTC final played at the Oval, are again in line for WTC final contention.
The last time Australia secured a win in the WTC final was in 2023, and hence the defending champions would look to at least appear in the WTC final. With the Proteas’ recent dominance at home, they have almost secured their position at the top of the WTC points table and hence into the finals for the first time.
India, who have been constant in the WTC final race, has played both the WTC finals since its inauguration. However, this time around, with the 3-0 whitewash at home from New Zealand, India suffered a huge setback in their race off to the third consecutive final.
Every scenario that will follow is based on the considered prediction of South Africa beating Pakistan in one of the matches of the Test Series
Pakistan is currently on its tour of the African giants, and after concluding the T20I series and playing the ODI series, it will square off in a two-match test series. Considering their recent form in the home conditions, the Proteas can be considered the favorites in the series, as that will lead them to their first-ever WTC final.
Three Scenarios for India’s Qualification:
India wins the BGT 3-1, and hence they can directly qualify for the WTC final, thus leaving no chance for the defending champions. This seems very unlikely considering the next two matches will be played at the two most dangerous grounds of world cricket, Sydney and Melbourne.
The next scenario marks India winning the BGT 2-1; that is, Team India wins one and draws one of the two remaining tests. However, under this condition, they would rely on Sri Lanka to either win or tie the series with Australia.
The final scenario seems to be the last hope for India’s qualification, as a 2-2 draw in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy can see India qualify only when Australia loses in the away series against Sri Lanka under the subcontinent conditions.
