South Africa succeeded in securing a draw against Australia in the third and final Test to remain in the hunt for a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. It is to be noted that the Proteas were defeated comprehensively in the first two games before they salvaged a draw in Sydney Test where rain helped the Proteas as over 150 overs were lost due to a wet outfield.
The draw means both Australia and South Africa will earn four points each, which means Australia's points percentage (PCT) now stands at 78 from 75.56. Notably, Australia have only one series remaining before WTC final and it is against India in India.
Australia are nearly assured of a berth in the WTC final, but Pat Cummins-led side would try its best to register at least one win against India in India. However, if India beat Australia in all four matches, the PCT of Kangaroos will fall to 59.6, while India will earn 48 points from the series and India’s PCT will jump to 68.05. This means that India will qualify for WTC final but South Africa are still in the race as they currently stands at 48.72 PCT and they are scheduled to play a two-match series against the West Indies. If South Africa manage to defeat West Indies in both games, their PCT will climb to 55.5, which will help Australia too. Thus the Proteas to reach WTC final, they would want Pat Cummins and Co. to continue the winning momentum but this is easier said than done, especially against India in India.
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India, on the other hand, too need to win their upcoming matches. There is no denying the fact that Australia’s recent wins over South Africa have proved to be a blessing for India. The current PCT of India is 58.93 and if Rohit Sharma-led India defeat Australia in one out of four matches, the PCT will be 51.39 and it will be 56.9 if they win two, while the PCT will rise to 62.5 if they win three matches against Australia. It means that Team India must beat Australia in at least two matches to reach the WTC final.
Now, Sri Lanka are also in the race to reach the WTC final but for that to happen they will have to register victory against New Zealand in New Zealand in both the Tests that they are scheduled to play. Notably, Sri Lanka have failed to register win against Black Caps in New Zealand for around three decades. Pakistan are out of the race to qualify for WTC final.
