NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes India’s current situation in the World Test Championship (WTC) final race is a direct consequence of their recent performances, especially the debacle against New Zealand at home.
“It’s a mess of our own making,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
He specifically highlighted the 0-3 series loss to New Zealand at home as a major setback. He also mentioned a rain-affected draw against the West Indies.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
“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,” he said.
India’s recent 10-wicket loss to Australia in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Adelaide has further complicated their
WTC final qualification chances. This defeat, coupled with South Africa’s win against Sri Lanka, pushed India down to third place in the WTC standings.
Chopra outlined the scenarios for India to secure a spot in the WTC final. He emphasized the importance of the remaining three matches against Australia.
Rohit Sharma press conference after loss in Adelaide Test vs Australia
“The first thing is very simple,” Chopra explained. “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.”
Chopra also mentioned that a 3-1 series win would be sufficient for qualification. The points earned from a draw in one of the matches would contribute to the required percentage.
“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,” he added.
Chopra analyzed the current WTC standings. He pointed out that South Africa are likely to qualify if they win their upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan.
Rohit Sharma’s struggle continues
He explained that this scenario would leave India and Australia competing for the remaining spot in the final. He detailed how other teams’ results could influence India’s qualification chances.
Chopra suggested that if India win the series 3-2, they would need Sri Lanka to draw at least one Test against Australia. This would prevent Australia from surpassing India in the points table.
“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 explained.
He further analyzed the scenario of a 2-2 drawn series against Australia. In this case, India would need Sri Lanka to win their series against Australia, either 1-0 or 2-0.
“If 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 added.
