India vs Australia: WTC Keys, 5 Key Victories and Critical Scenarios

Australia vs. India: A Key Duel with Major Implications

The clash between Australia and India is much more than a cricket series; it’s a battle with significant consequences, especially with the World Test Championship (WTC) final on the horizon in June. Both teams have a lot at stake in terms of their ranking position. New Zealand’s recent victory over the West Indies has propelled them to third place in the championship table. If they achieve the same result against Pakistan, both Australia and India will have to work hard to stay above them.

The Situation in India

India has played 4 series, accumulating 360 points and a points percentage of 75%. They have two series left in the current cycle, against Australia and England, both of four tests. This means that the points allocation is the same: 30 points for a win and 10 for a draw. If New Zealand gets all the points from their series against Pakistan, their total will rise to 420, with a percentage of 70%. India needs to surpass that 70% to secure a place above New Zealand. 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 all the points against England. This means they will need at least one win, or three draws, in the four test matches in Australia to reach their target of 150 points.

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

The Outlook for Australia

Australia has played 3 series, scoring 296 points and a percentage of 82.22%. They need to score over 420 points to have a percentage higher than 70%, assuming the series against South Africa takes place. If that series is canceled, their goal will be to score over 336 points. Since the series against South Africa is expected to be three tests, there will be 40 points at stake for a win and 13 for a draw.

Despite injury problems, Australia remains in a solid position due to accumulated points. If the series against India ends 2-2, Australia will have 356 points and a percentage of 74.17%. From there, even a 1-0 series against South Africa will boost 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%.