Mon Dec 09 09:17:12 UTC 2024: ## India’s World Test Championship Hopes Dented After Crushing Defeat in Adelaide
**Adelaide, Australia:** India suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Australia in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, leveling the series 1-1. This loss has significantly impacted India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Prior to the Adelaide Test, India topped the WTC points table with 61.11%. However, the defeat dropped them to third place with 57.29%, while Australia surged to the top with 60.71% and South Africa remained in second place with 59.26%. Sri Lanka occupies the fourth position.
The defeat effectively eliminates New Zealand from contention for the WTC final. Australia, South Africa, India, and Sri Lanka remain in the race. Australia and South Africa currently appear to have the most favorable positions.
India’s path to the final is now extremely challenging. To qualify, they need to win the remaining three Tests against Australia in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. A 4-1 series victory would likely secure their place. A 3-1 win would make qualification significantly harder, requiring favorable results from other series, particularly Sri Lanka’s matches against South Africa. Even a drawn series would necessitate unlikely outcomes in other matches to ensure India’s qualification.
The Adelaide defeat represents a significant setback for India’s WTC ambitions, placing immense pressure on their performance in the remaining matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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