India's defeat to Australia in the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has changed the qualification scenario for the World Test Championship final. An Aussie win has helped them seal a place in the final of the 2021-23 WTC irrespective of the result of the last Test match of the series. The pressure is now on India to win at any cost in Ahmedabad to keep their destiny in their own hands.

Supposing if India win the last Test match, then it would be an India vs Australia WTC final in this cycle. The Men in Blue's PCT will end at 63.0, in this case and they would finish second on the table. In this case, India would not have to depend on Sri Lanka's result against New Zealand.

However, if India either lose or secure a draw in the final Test match of the series even then the Rohit Sharma-led side can play the final but then they will have to depend on the results of Sri Lanka's Test series against New Zealand and hope that the island nation do not clean sweep the Kiwis.

So the equation for the WTC race has come down to two teams with one team having already secured the top spot. Either Sri Lanka or India will reach the finals and play Australia but Sri Lanka's path depends upon India either losing or drawing their last Test but India are pretty much their masters of their own ship, as things stand.

ICC World Test Championship 2021 - 2023

POS TEAM PCT (%) PTS
MATCHES
W L D
SER PEN
1
AUSTRALIA
 68.52 148
11 3 4
6 0
2
INDIA
 60.29 123
10 5 2
6 -5
3
SRI LANKA
 53.33 64
5 4 1
5 0
4
SOUTH AFRICA
 52.38 88
7 6 1
6 0
5
ENGLAND
 46.97 124
10 8 4
6 -12
6
PAKISTAN
 38.1 64
4 6 4
6 0
7
WEST INDIES
 37.5 54
4 6 2
6 -2
8
NEW ZEALAND
 27.27 36
2 6 3
5 0
9
BANGLADESH
 11.11 16
1 10 1
6 0

PCT (%): Percentage L: Number of matches lost SER: Number of series played PTS: Number of points awarded D: Number of matches drawn PEN: Number of penalty overs W: Number of matches won