Recent results in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25 have dealt a severe blow to India’s aspirations of making it to the World Test Championship final. The Indian team’s margin of error is quite small after their defeat in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, even though they won the first Test match against Australia in Perth. To exacerbate the situation, India appears to be out of reach for the rain-plagued third Test in Brisbane.
Remarkably, Rohit Sharma‘s team must win the BGT 2024–25 4–1 in order to qualify for the WTC final directly, independent of any other outcomes. India must win at least one of the final two Test matches against Australia to preserve their hopes if the Gabba Test is drawn. Next up in the series is the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on December 26. The New Year’s Test in Sydney on January 3 will follow.
Only a 1-0 victory over Australia in their next two-match series will allow India to qualify if the current series ends 2-2. India will almost certainly lose its opportunity to qualify if Australia wins that series by a significant margin.
India will have a remote chance of qualifying, though, if Pakistan defeats South Africa in their series.
Australia and India will compete in the WTC final in such a scenario, while South Africa will be eliminated.
India plans to play the Gabba Test in a draw.
Speaking of the Indian team, they are playing Australia in the third Test match at Gabba right now. With hundreds from Steve Smith (101 off 190) and Travis Head (152 off 160), Australia amassed 445 runs in the first innings. The Indian team was reduced to 252/9 by the end of the fourth day as a result of the hosts’ outstanding bowling performance. India will try to rally on the last day after falling 193 runs behind the Australians.
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