With Pakistan out of the race, can India aim for WTC Finals?

The defeat by England in the second Test in Multan effectively put an end to Pakistan’s lean chances of reaching the 2023 World Test Championship final. Babar Azam’s team has now dropped the three-match Test series to 0-2 after losing the opening match in Rawalpindi by a margin of 74 runs. The third Test between the two teams will now take place in Karachi and begin on December 17, three days after the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chattogram.

KL Rahul, the stand-in captain of India, wants his team to play aggressive cricket in Bangladesh in order to maintain their chances of making the ICC World Test Championship final the following year. In order to keep pace with the World Test Championship pacesetters during the Chattogram Test, Rahul has urged his charges to play positive cricket.

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Since losing by seven wickets to England in the fifth Test that was postponed at Edgbaston in July, India hasn’t played a test match. India is currently ranked fourth in the WTC table with a 52.08% win rate. With 42.42% Pakistan are at sixth. The teams ahead of India are Sri Lanka (53.33%) in third, South Africa (60%) in second and Australia (75%) in first, with the top two qualifying for the final.

Team India have just six more games left to play in the current cycle, including four at home against Australia in February and March of next year and two away to Bangladesh in the upcoming series. Australia will, incidentally, host three Test matches against South Africa. South Africa would present a different challenge because of their significantly better recent performance in Tests played in Australia, compared to the threat the West Indies posed at home. Therefore, there is a good chance that one of the top two teams will lose before they face India at home. India is still one of the most challenging teams to play at home and would be aiming to win against Australia.