Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons India has put themselves in a tight spot as far as qualifying for the World Test Championship final is concerned. India finished as the runners-up in the first two editions of the WTC but suffered losses against New Zealand and Australia.
However, their road ahead for the WTC finals looks a bumpy one as they slipped to third place in the standings. Chopra reckons the recent 0-3 drubbing against New Zealand has put India in this precarious situation.
India also suffered a 10-wicket loss against Australia in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide, which has put them under more pressure.
“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,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
For Rohit Sharma’s team to qualify for the WTC Final, they need to beat Australia by either 4-1 or 3-1. If India gets any other result, they will need favors from other teams.
“I saw a post from CricAspect on X. The first thing is very simple, India have 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,” he observed.
If India registers a 3-2 series win against Australia, then Sri Lanka will need to draw one of their two home Test matches against the Aussies for India to confirm their WTC final berth.
“If you win two matches, say Melbourne and Sydney, but lose in Gabba, which means you win the series 3-2, Sri Lanka will have to draw at least one of the two Test matches against Australia. If that happens, India will qualify. Then Australia cannot cross India’s points,” he said.
If India draws the series 2-2 against Australia, they will want Sri Lanka to win the series against Australia by either 1-0 or 2-0.
“If that too doesn’t happen, assuming we end at 2-2, you will need a little more help. India will then need Sri Lanka to win the series, whether they win 1-0 or 2-0. Then India will have 55.3 percent points but Australia won’t be able to go ahead of us. We are out if we lose the series,” Chopra elaborated.
The third Test match between India and Australia will be played at the Gabba, Brisbane from December 14.
