India's WTC Final qualification scenario after 3rd Test against Australia 

India (Image credit: Twitter)

After losing the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia staged a brilliant comeback by defeating India by 9 wickets in the third Test at Indore. The match began on March 1 with India needing a win to qualify for the World Test Championship final, but it is Australia who sealed their spot in the WTC final after their emphatic win at the Holkar Stadium on Day 3. Rohit Sharma's side were confident of winning this Test and cementing their place for the marquee event at the Oval, but the Steve Smith-led Aussies have now given them a tough scenario to qualify.

India, Australia, and Sri Lanka are the only three teams that can make their way into the WTC final, which will be played from June 7-11. After today's win, Australia have secured their place in the finals and topped the WTC points table with 69+ PCT. India, meanwhile, dropped to a PCT of 60, but take the 2nd spot in the WTC points table. Sri Lanka is third with a PCT of 53.0.

India WTC Final Qualification Scenario

If India wins BGT series 3-1

Even if Australia lose the fourth Test against India, they will have 65.0 PCT and retain their top spot in the points table. Things are now complicated for India as Rohit and Co need to win the final Test in Ahmedabad to book their place in the WTC finals. If India can win the final Test and defeat Australia 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar series, India will finish second on the points table with 63.0 PCT. In such a scenario, Sri Lanka's 2-0 win over New Zealand would not matter as they would end up with a PCT of 61.0 and remain third in the WTC points table. Hence, both Australia and India will seal their spot in the WTC final.

If India wins BGT series 2-1

If the fourth Test between India and Australia ends in a draw and the Indian team wins the series 2-1, Rohit and team will have to rely on the Sri Lanka-New Zealand series to qualify. If Sri Lanka wins 2-0, they will overtake India in the WTC points table and move into second place with 61.0 PCT. A 2-1 win in the BGT series will reduce India's PCT to 59.0. Hence, Sri Lanka and Australia will qualify for the WTC final.

If India Tie Series 2-2

If Australia continue their current form and defeat India in the final Test, the BGT series will end in a 2-2 tie. In such a scenario, Sri Lanka can qualify for the WTC final if they beat New Zealand 2-0. However, this will not be easy for Lanka as they need to whitewash Kiwis in their soil. A 1-0 victory or 1-1 tie will not allow Dimuth Karunaratne's side to take the 2nd spot in WTC points table.

After winning the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi, India were expected to whitewash Australia in the series. However, the Aussies, who completely dominated the third Test, chased down the target of 76 runs in the final innings on the third day. India, meanwhile, will not want to depend on the match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand to secure their WTC finals spot. So, the final Test match in Ahmedabad from March 9 will be exciting.