Following a victory by an inning and 132 runs against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar trophy first test match, India is a step ahead in the World Test Championship finals. The mammoth victory helped Rohit Sharma’s side increase their percentage point to 61.67. Australia still has the lead with 70.83 points. Besides these two, South Africa and Sri Lanka are well in the race. After a tie against Zimbabwe, West Indies are done with their chance.
India vs Australia: India wins the first Test, and gets a step closer to the WTC Finals
The four-match test series can be the decider for the WTC finals. The series winner will officially confirm their place in the WTC finals. The losers won’t be out of the race but will need to look forward to the results of two other series.
Here’s how India can make it to the prestigious WTC final.
The equation is quite simple. India will only be in the safest position if they win the series. A loss will ensure their disqualification for the finals while a draw might not be enough because South Africa and Sri Lanka have their respective series scheduled.
A 1-3 loss against the Aussies can take them to the finals if only West Indies beat South Africa and Newzealand beat Sri Lanka.
Challenging Indian conditions for Pat Cummins-lead Australia
The first test in Nagpur didn’t go well for the Aussies as the hosts thrashed them by a huge margin. The challenging Indian conditions proved to be difficult for Pat Cummins and his co as they consumed a defeat by an inning and 132 runs.
Confirming their place in the WTC finals will require them to win the rest of the games. A 0-4 loss against India can still take them to the finals if West Indies defeat South Africa 2-0 and New Zealand does the same to Sri Lanka.
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