New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): Australia topped the ICC World Take a look at Championship (WTC) standings whereas India slipped to quantity three after the guests succumbed to a 10-wicket loss to Aussies throughout the second Take a look at at Adelaide Oval.
As the present 2023-25 WTC cycle reaches its finish, every match can have extreme implications. A win or loss by one workforce might spoil the occasion for the opposite. Allow us to take a look at present state of play within the ICC WTC 2023-25 cycle.
1). Australia – 60.71 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: India (house, three Checks), Sri Lanka (away, two Checks)Very best end: 67.65 per centIt has been a intently fought contest between Australia and India to stay within the prime two of the WTC25 standings. The reigning World Take a look at Championship winners Australia, who had regained the highest spot after India’s collection loss to New Zealand, slipped once they misplaced in Perth with India reaching the highest.
South Africa’s win within the first Take a look at towards Sri Lanka pushed them all the way down to quantity three. Nevertheless, a dominating win within the pink-ball Take a look at in Adelaide have propelled them to the highest as soon as once more.
With the Border-Gavaskar collection now tied at 1-1, Australia are in a powerful place for a prime two end. They can even tour Sri Lanka subsequent yr for an extra two Checks, that means they may theoretically draw 2-2 with India and keep in competition for a spot within the ultimate, as per ICC.
2). South Africa – 59.26 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: Sri Lanka (house, one Take a look at), Pakistan (house, two Checks)Greatest Potential End: 69.44 per centCarrying on the shape from their spectacular collection win over Bangladesh within the sub-continent to house, South Africa secured a superb win over Sri Lanka within the opening Take a look at of their house season. This has helped them overtake Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka to safe the second spot within the WTC Standings.
The next three video games are extraordinarily essential for South Africa, for in the event that they proceed this profitable run, they are going to be safely positioned to make the World Take a look at Championship no matter how the opposite sides fare.
3). India – 57.29 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: Australia (away, three Checks)Very best end: 64.04 per centAfter an unprecedented 3-0 collection whitewash at house in October towards New Zealand which pushed them down a spot within the WTC desk, India bounced again within the race for Lord’s title conflict with a complete win in Australia.
An all-round show from the batters and the bowlers in Perth has rekindled India’s hopes for a 3rd straight look within the WTC Last. Nevertheless, their hopes had been dashed once they suffered a 10-wicket loss by the hands of Australia within the second Take a look at, which pressured them to slide to quantity three within the Standings.
It might not be straightforward however just isn’t unattainable as India must win all of their three matches to make sure qualification.
4). Sri Lanka – 50 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: South Africa (away, one Take a look at), Australia (house, two Checks)Greatest Potential End: 61.54 per centA head-turning victory over England within the third Take a look at in England adopted by a 2-0 whitewash of New Zealand at house was the spotlight of Sri Lanka’s current Take a look at returns, and the island nation went to South Africa confidently.
Nevertheless, a giant loss in Durban implies that the Asian facet must recalibrate its strategy and bounce again within the second Take a look at of the collection.
If Sri Lanka can pinch a victory within the second Take a look at, it might nonetheless result in a grandstand end on house soil with the highest two spots probably nonetheless to be determined within the ultimate collection of the cycle.
5). England – 45.24 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: New Zealand (away, one Take a look at)Very best end: 47.73 per centWhile a rampant house season had sparked some hopes for England, consecutive losses in Pakistan has seen them drop out of competition for a spot at subsequent yr’s ultimate.
They started their ultimate outing within the WTC, a three-match collection towards the Black Caps in direction of the tip of November on a constructive word with an eight-wicket win. After which adopted it up with a giant 323-win within the second Take a look at, thereby taking an unassailable 2-0 lead within the collection.
6). New Zealand – 44.23 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: England (house, one Take a look at)Very best end: 48.21 per centA historic collection sweep in India had bolstered New Zealand’s hope of claiming a second World Take a look at Championship title however their possibilities took a extreme hit following a loss to Ben Stokes’ England within the first Take a look at in Christchurch.
New Zealand’s hopes had been additional dented after they had been penalised three factors for a gradual over-rate within the first Take a look at. Because of this, they dropped to fifth within the standings, having beforehand shared fourth place with Sri Lanka.
The Black Caps’ woes continued once they suffered a giant defeat within the second Take a look at in Wellington, shedding by 323 runs and slipping to sixth within the standings as England overtook them.
Even when they win the remaining Take a look at, New Zealand can’t breach the all-important 60 per cent level proportion mark on the World Take a look at Championship desk and have successfully crashed out of the finals’ race.
7). Pakistan – 33.33 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: South Africa (away, two Checks), West Indies (house, two Checks)Greatest Potential End: 52.38 per centPakistan have gained back-to-back Checks below the watchful eye of recent coach Jason Gillespie, however stay out of competition of reaching the ultimate with a complete of six groups forward of them on the standings.
Whereas Pakistan might nonetheless win their remaining 4 Checks and end with a proportion as excessive as 52.38 p.c, that is unlikely to be sufficient to complete within the prime two locations on the standings.
They subsequent play South Africa on the finish of December after which will welcome West Indies house for 2 Checks in January subsequent yr.
8). Bangladesh – 31.25 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: NilBest Potential End: 31.25 per centThe Asian facet completed their marketing campaign on a excessive with a powerful 101-run victory over the West Indies that helped them off the underside of the World Take a look at Championship standings.
Whereas it has been a comparatively disappointing cycle for Bangladesh, they are going to be buoyed by the very fact they gained three Take a look at matches away from house that included a collection sweep over Pakistan earlier this yr.
That provides Bangladesh some hope for the following cycle, although they are going to need to discover some extra constant outcomes on house soil.
9). West Indies – 24.24 per cent of doable pointsRemaining matches: Pakistan (away, two matches)Greatest Potential End: 35.90 per centInconsistency has plagued the West Indies for a lot of the present cycle, with a few of their greatest moments usually adopted by disappointing efforts.
The spotlight to date was their second of glory towards Australia in Brisbane in early 2024, whereas their current overcome Bangladesh at house within the first Take a look at confirmed what they’re able to when producing their greatest cricket.
A batting collapse within the first innings of the second Take a look at towards Bangladesh proved an excessive amount of for the West Indies to overturn as they fell to a 101-run loss in Jamaica to drop to ninth place on the standings, however they at the very least get the prospect to complete on a excessive with a two-match collection in Pakistan early in 2025. (ANI)
