Melbourne [Australia], December 31: Australia’s 184-run win over India in the Melbourne Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has significantly improved their chances of securing a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. According to the ICC, the Pat Cummins-led Australian team now needs just one more victory from their remaining matches to confirm a place at Lord’s next year.
Australia is now firmly in contention for the second spot in the standings, while India, led by Rohit Sharma, still holds an outside chance of qualification. Sri Lanka also remains in the race, but both India and Sri Lanka need a series of favourable results to stay alive in the competition.
Earlier in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen delivered a thrilling tenth-wicket partnership to secure a dramatic two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Test. This win ensured South Africa’s qualification for the WTC final, making them the first team to confirm their spot at Lord’s next June.
The Proteas’ nail-biting victory, which included a 148-run chase in the fourth innings, was full of drama, with Rabada and Jansen playing crucial roles—similar to their performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against Afghanistan. The two sides will meet again in Cape Town for the second Test, which is now a formality for the home side.
Australia’s path to the WTC final hit a setback after a loss to India in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. However, Cummins’ team staged a remarkable comeback, securing wins in the next three Tests, including victories in Adelaide and Melbourne. With their recent triumph in Melbourne, Australia is now in a strong position and needs just one win from their remaining three matches to book their spot in the WTC final.
India started the 2024/25 season strongly, with a commanding 2-0 series win over Bangladesh at home. However, their momentum faltered with an unexpected defeat to New Zealand on home soil, followed by a challenging tour of Australia. Under stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, India had rekindled hopes of a third consecutive WTC final appearance with a win in Perth, but subsequent losses in Australia have severely impacted their qualification chances.
For India to qualify, they must win the final Test of their series against Australia and hope for a positive result in Sri Lanka when Australia tours the island nation early next year. A draw or a win for Sri Lanka would benefit India’s chances.
New Zealand, who had been in strong contention after a historic series sweep in India, saw their WTC hopes fade following a loss to Ben Stokes’ England in the first Test in Christchurch. Their prospects took another hit when they were penalised three points for a slow over-rate, causing them to drop to fifth in the standings, after previously sharing fourth place with Sri Lanka.
The Black Caps’ chances were further dented by a heavy 323-run defeat in the second Test in Wellington, which dropped them to sixth place in the standings, allowing England to overtake them. Despite a dominant 423-run win in the final Test, New Zealand’s hopes of qualifying for the WTC final are now effectively over, and they remain in fourth place in the current standings.
As the WTC 2025 race continues, Australia remains in the driver’s seat, while India and Sri Lanka cling to slim hopes of making it to the final.