India’s hopes of making it to the third straight ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final have taken a hit with a crushing defeat in the Day-Night Test against Australia as Aakash Chopra pointed out key moments that led to their current mess.
The cricket pundit believes the Indian cricket team’s recent struggles, particularly the 0-3 Test series loss to New Zealand at home, played a major role in their challenges to make it to the WTC 2023-25 finals.
India’s WTC Final hopes dented after a crushing defeat to Australia in the Adelaide Test
Furthermore, Aakash Chopra mentioned that the rain-affected draw against the West Indies also snatched crucial points from India. The former Indian batter has stressed that the team’s inability to earn full points in these matches has put them in this tough position for the WTC 2023-25 finals qualification.
Adding to the woes, India’s crushing 10-wicket defeat to Australia in the second Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 has further dented their chances. Additionally, South Africa’s recent Test series win over Sri Lanka has dropped India to third place in the WTC 2023-25 standings.
With three matches left in the ongoing five-match Test series against Australia, Aakash Chopra emphasized the importance of winning them all to secure direct qualification for the WTC final without depending on other results.
It’s a mess of our own making: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “It’s a mess of our own making. A West Indies match still comes to mind, where we were troubled because of rain, and there was no result. The headache is only because we lost 0-3 to New Zealand. If we had taken 100 percent points there, we would have been sitting at ease today. That is the biggest problem.
“The first thing is very simple. India has three matches left, and if you win all three remaining matches, you don’t need to worry at all. It means you will win this series 4-1 and won’t need to depend on anyone else.
“Your qualification will be confirmed in the first week of January. Interestingly enough, if you win only two matches and one match gets drawn, which means you win the BGT 3-1 and not 4-1, 3-1 will still make India qualify because you get points for a draw. India will directly qualify and won’t be dependent on anyone else.”
Aakash Chopra reveals key scenarios for India’s WTC Final qualification
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also analyzed the scenarios for India’s qualification to the WTC final, highlighting how South Africa and Sri Lanka’s performances could impact India’s chances.
If South Africa wins their upcoming series against Pakistan, they are likely to secure one of the final spots, leaving India and Australia to fight for the remaining WTC position.
If India wins the ongoing Test series with a 3-2 margin, then they would need Sri Lanka to draw at least one match in their upcoming Test series against Australia, ensuring Pat Cummins and his team don’t surpass India in the points table. In a scenario where the BGT series ends 2-2, India would rely on Sri Lanka to secure a 1-0 or 2-0 series win over Australia.