The race for places in the World Test Championship (WTC) final is heating up with four teams — South Africa, India, Australia and Sri Lanka — currently in contention. Currently, South Africa top the WTC table ahead of Australia and India in the the second and third spot, respectively. India and Australia are currently squaring off in a five-match series, with the scores 1-1 after two Tests. South Africa, on the other hand, are set to play two Tests against Pakistan at home, starting from Boxing Day (December 26).
For the unversed, Australia are also scheduled to play two more Tests after this, against Sri Lanka on the road.
On Saturday, play was abandoned on the first day of the third Test between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane, owing to bad weather.
However, the forecast for the remaining days in Brisbane isn’t motivating either, and there is a possibility that the game might end in a draw.
In that case, the series will be evenly poised with two matches remaining, in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
Here’s how India can qualify for WTC if Brisbane Test fails to produce a result:
If India win in Melbourne and Sydney, they will qualify for the WTC final without depending on other results.
If India win the series 2-1, Sri Lanka must avoid a whitewash against Australia.
If India draw the series 2-2, Sri Lanka need to beat Australia in the series by any margin.
If India draw the series 1-1, Sri Lanka must draw or beat Australia.
India will crash out of the race if they lose the series by any margin.
Meanwhile, Australia finished Day 1 in Brisbane on 28-0 with Usman Khawaja 19 not out and Nathan McSweeney on four after India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to field.
Only 13.2 overs were bowled during the first session and there was no further play, much to the disappointment of the big crowd that had filed into the Gabba.
To cover up for the lost time, the match will resume at 5:20 AM IST, which is 30 minutes early from the scheduled time. A total of 98 overs can be bowled if possible on Day 2.
(With AFP Inputs)
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