Mon Dec 30 11:00:57 UTC 2024: ## India’s WTC Final Hopes Dim After Melbourne Loss, But Not Dead
**Sydney, Australia:** India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final have diminished after a crushing 184-run defeat to Australia in the Boxing Day Test. Despite the loss, India remains third in the WTC points table, but their path to the final is now exceedingly narrow.
Australia’s victory puts them 2-1 up in the series and solidifies their second place in the standings with a win percentage of 61.46%. South Africa leads the table with 66.67% and has already secured their place in the final. India’s win percentage dropped to 52.78% following the Melbourne loss.
India’s hopes now hinge on a win in the Sydney Test. A victory would raise their win percentage to 55.26%, but they would still need Sri Lanka to defeat Australia by at least a 1-0 margin in their upcoming series. Even a Sri Lankan 2-0 victory might not be enough if Australia wins at least one match against Sri Lanka. Conversely, a loss or draw in Sydney combined with a Sri Lankan 2-0 win over Australia could propel Sri Lanka into the final. In short, India’s fate now rests largely on the outcome of the Sri Lanka-Australia series.
First Piper 