Hot Newsmanila game IND Vs AUS, 4th Test: Can India Still Enter WTC Final? Qualification Scenario Explained
Indian players walk off the field after losing the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photo: AP Indian players walk off the field after losing the fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Photo: AP A crushing 184-run defeat to Australia in the fourth Test in Melbourne on Monday (December 30, 2024) has left India's hopes of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship final in tatters. (Highlights | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
India suffered a dramatic batting collapse in the final session of the match, losing seven wickets for 34 runs in 20.4 overs on the fifth afternoon to be all out for a paltry 155 runs in 79.1 overs. Australia skipper Pat Cummins (3/28 in 18 overs) was lethal with the ball and Scott Boland complemented him superbly (3/39 in 16 overs) through his probing lines and immaculate length.
Nathan Lyon (2/37 in 20.1 overs) took advantage of variable bounce, while Mitchell Starc (1/25 in 16 overs) got the prized scalp of Virat Kohli. Yashasvi Jaiswal (84) was the only batter from India to score more than 30 runs in the fourth innings.
rose slotsThe moment they sealed it 🙌#WTC25 | #AUSvIND: https://t.co/66Tuk2oTvf pic.twitter.com/pxxjdCjMUT
— ICC (@ICC) December 30, 2024The loss means India are now down 1-2 in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and will head into the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground with their backs against the wall.
South Africa are already through to the WTC final, and India, Australia and Sri Lanka are the teams mathematically in the fray for the second spot. Though India now face a highly improbable scenario, they are still not out of WTC final contention. Let us take a look at what Rohit Sharma's men need to do, to qualify:
India's WTC Final Qualification ScenarioFirst and foremost, India must win the fifth Test in Sydney to have any shot at a WTC final berth. If India do win and level the series 2-2, they will need Sri Lanka to beat Australia by at least a 1-0 margin in their upcoming series. If all that happens, India’s win percentage would stand at 55.26, while Australia’s would be marginally lower.
Patnaik, whose earlier government had been a key promoter of Indian hockey and been sponsoring the national men's and women's teams since 2018, hoped for a top podium finish in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
But any result other than a win in Melbourne will end India's hopes of WTC final qualification. A draw there would peg India’s win percentage at 51.75, and Australia would finish ahead of India even if they were to lose 0-2 in Sri Lanka. However, the Lankans would go past the Aussies if they do sweep the series 2-0.
However, in case either India or Australia are handed a penalty for slow-over ratemanila game, the equation needed for both sides could change.