Australia almost there, India’s outside chance: A look at state of play of ICC World Test Championship 2023-25

Melbourne [Australia], December 31 (ANI): The 184-run victory over India at the Melbourne Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has improved the chances of the Pat Cummins-led Australian side of making it to the World Test Championship 2025 final, with the side now needing just one more Test win away from making it to Lord's next year, according to ICC.
While Australia are out in front as claimants to the second spot, Rohit Sharma-led India still has an outside chance. Sri Lanka's chances are also alive, but both will need a string of favourable results to keep their hopes alive.
Earlier in Centurion's Boxing Day Test, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen's stunning tenth-wicket partnership took the Proteas to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test, confirming their spot at next June's final.
The Proteas became the first side to mark their name in the World Test Championship Final after a nail-biting win in their opening Test against Pakistan in Centurion.
The 148-run chase in the fourth innings saw several twists, but Rabada and Jansen once again stood tall - similar to their heroics in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against Afghanistan - to conclude the thriller.
The two sides face off in Cape Town next in the second Test, set to begin on Friday, January 3, leaving it as a formality contest for the home side.
A loss to India in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar series pushed Australia back, but Pat Cummins' side fought back remarkably well, dominating in the following three Tests, securing wins in Adelaide and Melbourne.
With their win in Melbourne, Australia are in a strong position for a top-two finish. They now need just a win from their three upcoming encounters to ensure an appearance at Lord's next year.
India began the 2024/25 season in a rampant fashion, securing a confident 2-0 win over Bangladesh at home.
The script that followed was, however, not according to their plans. The side suffered an unprecedented historic loss to New Zealand at home, before embarking on an asking tour of Australia.
Under stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, the Men in Blue rekindled their hopes for a third straight appearance in the WTC Final, with a win in the opening Test in Perth. However, the side has since gone on to lose two games in Australia, and their WTC chances have taken a significant hit.
To qualify for the final, India must win the final Test of their series against Australia and then hope for a positive Sri Lanka result (or a 0-0 draw) when Pat Cummins' side tours the island nation early next year.
A historic series sweep in India had bolstered New Zealand's hope of claiming a potential second World Test Championship title but their chances took a severe hit following a loss to Ben Stokes' England in the first Test in Christchurch.
New Zealand's hopes were further dented after they were penalised three points for a slow over-rate in the first Test. As a result, they dropped to fifth in the standings, having previously shared fourth place with Sri Lanka.
The Black Caps' woes continued when they suffered a big defeat in the second Test in Wellington, losing by 323 runs and slipping to sixth in the standings as England overtook them.
The two losses ended their hopes of qualifying for the final and despite a massive 423-run victory in the final Test, they are still only fourth on the current WTC25 standings list. (ANI)