With the loss in Melbourne, India’s chances of making it to the final have gone down. While South Africa has booked a place in the WTC final after a victory in the first Test against Pakistan, the second spot is still open. Australia looks like the favorite to join South Africa, while India has a lot more to do and hopes that other results fall into place.
What Team India Needs to Do to Make It to the WTC Final?
India has to win the fifth Test in Sydney; otherwise, the team will be knocked out of the WTC final race. Even after winning the fifth Test, India will have to hope that Sri Lanka defeats Australia 2-0 in home conditions. The only thing that team India can now do is win the fifth Test, draw the series, retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and keep their hopes alive.
Current WTC Points Table
After Australia’s win in Melbourne, this is how the WTC points table looks like:
What Went Wrong in Melbourne?
Unfortunately, plenty of things went wrong during the Melbourne Test for India. The following are some of the top reasons why India lost against Australia in Melbourne:
Rohit Sharma’s Reactive Captaincy: Rohit Sharma looked clueless as a captain even when number 10 and 11 were batting for Australia. Field placements for these two batters were surprising, given how defensive they were.
Rishabh Pant’s Brain Fades Twice in Melbourne: After looking comfortable in both innings in Melbourne, Rishabh Pant decided to gift his wicket away.
Too Many Dropped Catches: India put Australia under pressure in the second innings, reducing them to 91/6. If not for dropped catches by Yashasvi Jaiswal, India could have bowled out Australia cheaply.
Rohit and Virat’s Batting: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have to pull their socks up and show some grit. The two players are experienced enough to know they are terribly out of form and what needs to be done.
What to Expect in Sydney?
Sydney’s wicket is known to assist spinners, which means India will have a decent chance to win the match, level the series, and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Indian team management can take some tough calls to get the playing 11 right for the Sydney Test.
Final Thoughts
The Indian team is struggling in Australia, as it is 2-1 behind the Australian team. Hopes of making it to the WTC final are slim, as India will have to depend on other results even after winning the Sydney Test.