Test is the oldest and the purest format of cricket. After the World Test Championship came to the cricket arena, the longest format of the cricket has become more exciting. In the ongoing cycle of the WTC 2023-25, every other match is changing; the qualifying scenario is changing. The prestigious Lord’s Cricket Ground is set to host the thrilling final match. The top two places are taken by last cycle’s finalists, India and Australia. Every other win or defeat can make a big impact on their qualification scenario. Let’s check the exciting qualification scenario of those teams in the final match of the WTC 2023-25 final match.
England:
After a lot of limited-over cricket, England went back to the longest format with a three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The series started on a great note for the England side as they took the lead by a 2-0 margin. But in the third Test, the qualification was changed. Sri Lanka defeated them by 8 wickets. That defeat against the visitors made a big impact on their qualifying scenario.
England’s recent defeat has dropped them to sixth place in the 2023-25 WTC standings, falling behind Sri Lanka. Under Ben Stokes, England has won eight out of 16 matches, with a points percentage of 42.19%. They can no longer exceed the 60% mark in this cycle.
For England to reach the final, they need other teams’ results to fall in their favor. If India dominates, England can only secure a second-place finish if Australia earns no more than 42 points from their remaining seven Tests. If Australia leads, England requires India to score no more than 58 points. Overall, England’s qualification depends heavily on the outcomes of other teams.
Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka started the Test series with England with consecutive setbacks. After losing the first two games, they were lagging behind. But their remarkable win in the last Test match at the Oval gave them a big boost to the race to qualify in the final match.
Sri Lanka has six matches left before the WTC final, with four of them at home against New Zealand and Australia. Winning all six matches would give them a points percentage of 69.23, likely securing a spot in the final. Winning five out of six would result in a percentage of 61.54, keeping them in contention for the final.
Bangladesh:
From lagging behind in previous Test matches, Bangladesh made a huge triumph after defeating Pakistan in their recently ended Test series by a huge 2-0 margin. Defeating Pakistan on their home soil is not at all an easy task but they have done that successfully. They showcased their dominating form and raised their hope to qualify in the WTC final in a different level.
The series win in Pakistan has raised their percentage to 45.83, moving them to fourth in the points table. They have three series left, totaling six matches. If they win all six, their percentage will increase to 72.92. Winning four out of six will result in a percentage of 56.25, keeping them in contention.
India:
After a long time, Team India is coming back to the longest format. Earlier this year, they defeated England by a 4-1 margin in home condition. That gave them a huge boost to the WTC points table. India leads the table with a strong percentage of 68.52 but has three remaining series with a total of 10 matches. With many factors still in play, they need to maintain their percentage above 60 to ensure qualification.
Achieving this can be done with five wins and a draw. If they secure six wins, their percentage will rise to 64.03. To match their current score of 68.52, they will need seven wins, which would increase their percentage to 69.3.
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Australia:
Australia is the defending champion of the previous WTC cycle. They have not seen in whites for a long and eager to make a comeback. Known for their dominance, they have two series left which contains seven matches. Australia is currently in second place and needs 47 more points from their remaining seven Tests to exceed a 60% points percentage.
There are two ways to achieve this. In one way, they have to win all four matches. On the other way, they need to secure three wins and three draws. Their upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, which consists of five matches at home, is a crucial opportunity. Success in this series could help them gather the necessary points and secure a place in the WTC final.
New Zealand:
New Zealand is standing in a very interesting position with 50%. New Zealand has completed only six of their 14 Tests in this WTC cycle. With five of their eight remaining matches in Asian conditions, the challenge ahead is significant. To maintain a 60% points percentage, they need at least 65 out of the 96 points still available.
Their path to qualification is demanding. They would need to secure five wins and a couple of draws or achieve six victories in the upcoming matches. However, this will be a tough task given the conditions and competition.
Pakistan:
Pakistan faced a huge setback after faced a series defeats against Bangladesh on home soil. The whitewash against Bangladesh made their WTC qualification even more impossible. On their home soil, they were crushed by the Bangladeshi side. Now they are in front of a tough battle.
With seven matches remaining before the WTC final, they have faced setbacks, including a points deduction for slow over-rates following their loss to Bangladesh. This penalty reduced their percentage from 36.66 to 19.05. To reach a maximum of 59.52%, they must win all seven of their remaining Tests. This makes their path to the final challenging, with little room for error in the upcoming matches.
South Africa:
After the T20 World Cup, South Africa faced West Indies in a two-match Test series. After the first match ended on a tie, South Africa secured a huge win in the second Test match. Before the WTC final, they have three series left. Two will be home series and the other one will be away against Bangladesh.
If South Africa wins all six of their remaining Tests, they will reach a percentage of 69.44, which should secure their spot in the final. They have upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this year, providing a valuable opportunity to earn crucial points. Success in these matches could significantly boost their chances of making it to the WTC final.
West Indies:
West Indies is the last runner of the list. West Indies currently holds a percentage of 18.52 in the WTC standings. They have two series left, consisting of four matches. One series is against Bangladesh at home, and the other is an away series against Pakistan.
So far, West Indies have played four series and earned only 20 points out of a possible 108. Even if they win all their remaining four Tests, they can only achieve a 43.59% percentage, which is not enough to qualify for the WTC final.
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