The India national cricket team is among the teams vying for a spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. The summit match will be played at Lord's Cricket Ground in London in June next year and will also have a reserve day.
The Indian national cricket team's road to the final of the ICC World Test Championship is not an easy one. They will need a massive effort if they are to book a ticket at Lord's. It is fair to say that they only have themselves to blame for being in a difficult situation.
India were one of the strong favorites to reach the final of the ICC World Test Championship
Two months ago, India were one of the favorites to reach the final of the ICC World Test Championship. After the series win over Bangladesh, they were at the top of the table, but things changed dramatically for them as they then faced a 3-0 win over New Zealand at home.
This reduced their chances of reaching the final of the ICC World Test Championship, but did not rule them out completely. India put up a tremendous effort in the first match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as they beat Australia by 295 runs to keep them in the hunt.
South Africa have almost booked their place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship
But then, in the next match, India were at the receiving end of a 10-wicket thrashing at the hands of Australia. Both teams are vying for a spot, with the South Africa National Cricket Team almost booking their place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship.
India and Australia are currently facing off against each other in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The match between the two teams is being played at the Gabba in Brisbane, but the opening day of the match was canceled due to rain, with only 13.2 overs possible.
The outlook for the rest of the game also doesn't look great. Rain is expected throughout the match, and there is a possibility that the entire match will be stopped. If that happens, the match will end in a draw, and the five-match series between the two teams will remain tied at 1-1.
Qualification scenario for India if GABAA test is cancelled
If the match ends in a draw, it will have a major impact on India's qualification for the ICC World Test Championship final. To reach the summit clash, the Rohit Sharma-led side will need to win the remaining two matches of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If they did, it would guarantee them direct qualification.
If the Gabba match ends in a draw and India wins the series by a 2-1 margin, they will win one of the remaining two matches. Then the Rohit Sharma-led side will need a service from Sri Lanka. They want the island nation to win at least one of the two Test matches against Australia.
India cannot afford to lose a single match in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. If they are beaten in one of the two remaining matches after the Gabba, it will almost mean a curtain call. In this scenario, to qualify, they would want Pakistan to win the two-match series against South Africa in January by a 2-0 margin or for Sri Lanka to defeat Australia by a 2-0 margin.
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