India vs Australia: Requirements for Cricket World Cup Final

Australia vs. India: A Key Duel with Major Implications

The clash between Australia and India transcends the category of a simple sporting encounter; it’s a high-profile cricket series. Beyond the intrinsic rivalry, this match carries significant weight on the road to the World Test Championship final in June. New Zealand’s recent victory over the West Indies (2-0) propels them to third place in the championship standings. If they repeat this achievement against Pakistan, both Australia and India will need to strive to stay above them.

India’s Perspectives

India has played 4 series, accumulating 360 points, which translates to a percentage of 75%. India has two series remaining in the current cycle: against Australia and England. Both are four-test series, which means the points allocation is the same: 30 points for a win and 10 for a draw. If New Zealand gets the maximum points in their series against Pakistan, their total will rise to 420, with a percentage of 70%. This sets 70% as the target to be surpassed for India.

To achieve this, India needs at least 150 points out of the 240 available in these two series. This can be achieved in two ways: by winning five matches or by winning four and drawing three.

Given India’s impressive home record, they have a good chance of getting the maximum points against England. This implies that they will need at least one win, or three draws, in the four tests in Australia to reach 150 points.

For example, if India loses against Australia by a margin of 1-2, they will need 110 points in the series against England. Since a win grants 30 points and a draw 10, the only way to reach 110 is by winning all four matches.

Situation in Australia

Australia has played 3 series, scoring 296 points, with a percentage of 82.22%. Australia needs to score over 420 points to reach a percentage above 70%, as long as the series against South Africa is played. If this series is canceled, their goal will be to exceed 336 points. The series against South Africa is expected to consist of three tests, with 40 points at stake per victory and 13 for a draw.

Despite injury concerns, Australia is in a solid position, thanks to accumulated points. If the series against India ends 2-2, Australia will add 356 points, with a percentage of 74.17%. From there, even a 1-0 series against South Africa would propel them to 422 points, surpassing New Zealand. If they lose 1-2 against India, Australia will need a 2-0 victory against South Africa to stay above 70%.