WTC 2023: India has made it to the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC), and they will now face Australia for the ultimate glory in this format of the game. The confirmation of their spot in the final came after an intense match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, where the Kiwis snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by winning the game with the last ball, and by just two wickets. The highly anticipated WTC final (WTC 2023) will be held at The Oval in London starting from June 7.
New Zealand’s gift to India
The race to the WTC final continued on Monday with both Test matches, one in Ahmedabad and the other in Christchurch, carrying equal weight in determining the result. Had Sri Lanka managed to defeat New Zealand, they would have kept their hopes alive in the race, but only if India had failed to win in Ahmedabad. However, thanks to Kane Williamson’s unbeaten 121 and Daryl Mitchell’s impressive 81 off just 86 balls, New Zealand pulled off an unlikely victory in the dying moments of the game. This outcome effectively ended Sri Lanka’s hopes of making it to the WTC final.
After their defeat in Christchurch, Sri Lanka’s chances of qualifying for the WTC final seem bleak. Even if they manage to win the next Test, their points will only increase to 52.78, which is still lower than India’s 56.94, even if India lose the Ahmedabad Test. In case of a draw, which seems the most probable outcome, India’s point tally will reach 58.80. On the other hand, Australia has already secured their spot in the final with a percentage of 64.91, which remains unchanged even if they lose in Ahmedabad.
It’s worth noting that in the last WTC finale, which was also the first ever, India clashed against Kiwis and latter came out as winners.
Records of India in WTC
Out of all the teams participating in the current WTC cycle, only Australia and India have won twice as many Tests as they have lost (in Tests that counted towards the WTC). Australia, in particular, have been impressive with a record of 11-3 in terms of win-loss ratio. They have secured series victories against England, West Indies, South Africa (at home), and Pakistan (away), and managed to draw against Sri Lanka (1-1). Their only series defeat came in India (assuming they either draw or lose in Ahmedabad).
India, on the other hand, have a 10-5 record in this cycle. They have won series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Australia (assuming they draw or win in Ahmedabad) at home, and Bangladesh (away). They managed to draw 2-2 in England but suffered a 2-1 loss in South Africa.
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