World Test Championship Final 2023: India qualify for WTC final clash against Australia
India qualify for WTC final, 2023: The Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, has secured a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second consecutive time. The team’s qualification was dependent on winning the fourth Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. However, New Zealand’s thrilling victory over Sri Lanka in their first Test opened doors for India.
To qualify, India had to win the four-match Test series against Australia by either 3-0 or 3-1. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had to defeat New Zealand by 2-0 in the Test series to qualify for the WTC Final. Fortunately for India, any other result of the New Zealand vs Sri Lanka clash would have fulfilled their qualification criteria, and that is precisely what happened.
🚨 #TeamIndia QUALIFY FOR THE WTC FINALS! 🚨
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 13, 2023
The stage is set, the finalists have been decided and it’s going to be a cracker of a final! 💥
Mark your calendars, for 🇮🇳 will take on 🇦🇺 on June 7! 😍 pic.twitter.com/GyMLtNpW5L
Sri Lanka put up a good fight until the final ball of the game, but Kane Williamson’s unbeaten 121*(194) took his side home on the final delivery. The game came down to the wire as New Zealand needed one run to win off the final delivery, and Sri Lanka had to defend it to draw the match. However, Williamson crossed the line just a second before the bails were dislodged, saving himself from the run-out and winning the game.
Meanwhile, India is currently playing Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Out of the four games of the series, the ongoing fourth Test is the only one that went past the third day and witnessed a complete five-day match. The two sides will be playing till the end of the day’s play, but India is not worried about the result of the game now.
WTC Points Table 2023
| Rank | Team | Percentage | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 68.52 | 148 |
| 2 | India | 60.29 | 123 |
| 3 | South Africa | 55.56 | 100 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 48.48 | 64 |
| 5 | England | 46.97 | 124 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 38.1 | 64 |
| 7 | West Indies | 34.62 | 54 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 33.33 | 48 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 11.11 | 16 |
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Nevertheless, India is eyeing to either win the final Test or draw the game to clinch the series 3-1 or 2-1. Since December 2022, when India resumed their red-ball campaign, the Rohit Sharma-led side had been on the edge of qualification. But with their terrific performances in the first two Tests against Australia and New Zealand’s nail-biting triumph, India go into the WTC Final.
The highly anticipated summit clash between Australia and India is set to take place at The Oval on June 7th. While India played in the previous edition of the WTC final against New Zealand, the Virat Kohli-led team unfortunately failed to lift the Test mace. However, with two new contenders vying for the championship title, the excitement and anticipation surrounding this match is palpable. It will be fascinating to see which team emerges victorious and claims the coveted title.
