Melbourne: The Australian team, led by Pat Cummins, has bolstered its prospects of reaching the World Test Championship 2025 final following a decisive 184-run victory over India in the Melbourne Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. According to the ICC, the team now requires just one more Test win to secure a place at Lord's next year.
While Australia currently holds a strong position for the second spot, India, under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, still retains a slim chance. Sri Lanka also remains in contention, but both teams will need a series of favorable outcomes to maintain their aspirations.
In a thrilling encounter during the Boxing Day Test in Centurion, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen's remarkable partnership for the tenth wicket led South Africa to a dramatic two-wicket victory over Pakistan, ensuring their place in the final next June.
South Africa became the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship Final after a tense win in their opening Test against Pakistan in Centurion.
The fourth innings chase of 148 runs was filled with suspense, but Rabada and Jansen once again rose to the occasion, reminiscent of their outstanding performance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against Afghanistan, to seal the victory.
The two teams will meet again in Cape Town for the second Test, scheduled to start on Friday, January 3, which is expected to be a formality for the home side.
Australia faced a setback with a loss to India in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series, but Pat Cummins' team made a remarkable recovery, dominating the subsequent three Tests with victories in Adelaide and Melbourne.
With their recent win in Melbourne, Australia is well-positioned for a top-two finish, needing just one win from their next three matches to guarantee a spot at Lord's next year.
India commenced the 2024/25 season with an impressive 2-0 victory over Bangladesh on home soil.
However, the subsequent events did not unfold as anticipated. The team faced an unprecedented defeat against New Zealand at home before setting off on a challenging tour of Australia.
With Jasprit Bumrah stepping in as captain, the Men in Blue reignited their aspirations for a third consecutive appearance in the World Test Championship Final by winning the first Test in Perth. Unfortunately, they have since lost two matches in Australia, significantly diminishing their chances of qualifying.
To secure a spot in the final, India must triumph in the last Test of their series against Australia and rely on favorable outcomes from Sri Lanka's matches (or a 0-0 draw) during Pat Cummins' upcoming tour of the island nation early next year.
New Zealand, having achieved a historic series sweep in India, had raised their hopes of clinching a second World Test Championship title. However, their prospects suffered a setback following a defeat to Ben Stokes' England in the first Test in Christchurch.
Further complications arose when New Zealand was penalized three points for a slow over-rate in that match, causing them to drop to fifth place in the standings, where they had previously been tied for fourth with Sri Lanka.
The Black Caps' struggles continued with a significant loss in the second Test in Wellington, where they were defeated by 323 runs, resulting in a slip to sixth place as England moved ahead of them.
These two defeats dashed their hopes of reaching the final, and despite a commanding 423-run victory in the final Test, they remain in fourth place in the current WTC25 standings.
