ICC WTC Final Qualification Scenario: With a convincing 9-wicket victory against India on 3rd March, Australia cut off the fear of losing the WTC final ticket and became the first finalist of the ICC WTC 2021-23 cycle. Whereas India, on the other hand, with the loss handed by Australians, have only one chance left to steel their clash against Australia in the WTC final. Here, we discuss the qualification scenario for India and Sri Lanka for the final of the World Test Championship 2021-23.
Australia won the match in Indore by nine wickets, handing Team India their first defeat in a Test at home since 2021. Australia qualified for the finals, which is set to be held at The Oval in June (7 June to 11 June) 2023, with just their second Test victory in India since 2004.
The No. 1 ranked team has a winning percentage of 68.52 and has only dropped three games over the entire cycle. Their percentage of 65 will be enough for them to be in the top two even if they lose the fourth Test.
How can India qualify for the 2021-23 WTC final?
After collecting 123 points in 17 Tests (10 wins and 2 draws), India’s Win% is 60.29. India has dropped a few points throughout this cycle as a result of its slow overrate. If India wins the last Test, their PCT (Win %) will increase to 62.5 with 135 points compared to the full 216 that are available (18 Tests). They will then maintain their second place and advance to the final round.
If India lose, their PCT will fall to 56.94, and they will then have to rely on the outcome of Sri Lanka’s away series against New Zealand.
India’s PCT will fall to 58.79 in the case of a draw, and even then, they will have to patiently await the result of the Sri Lanka-New Zealand series. Similar results will occur in a tie, with India’s PCT being 59.72
How can Sri Lanka qualify for the 2021-23 WTC final?
The sole chance Sri Lanka has of making it to the last qualifying round depends on a 2-0 victory in New Zealand, one of the most difficult away games for teams from the subcontinent. The current PCT for Sri Lanka is 53.33, with 64 points out of a possible 120. (10 Tests).
If Sri Lanka wins the series 2-0 and India loses, ties, or draws the fourth Test against Australia, their PCT will be 61.11 with 88 points out of a possible 144 points on the line, and they can then qualify for the final of WTC.
So even if Sri Lanka loses the last Test, they will still have a lower maximum PCT (55.55) than India (56.94) if they draw even one game and win by a single goal.
ICC WTC Points Table
| POS | TEAM | PCT (%) | PTS | W | L | D | SER | PEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AUSTRALIA | 68.52 | 148 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 2 | INDIA | 60.29 | 123 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 6 | -5 |
| 3 | SRI LANKA | 53.33 | 64 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | SOUTH AFRICA | 52.38 | 88 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | ENGLAND | 46.97 | 124 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6 | -12 |
| 6 | PAKISTAN | 38.1 | 64 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | WEST INDIES | 37.5 | 54 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | -2 |
| 8 | NEW ZEALAND | 27.27 | 36 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | BANGLADESH | 11.11 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
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