South Africa registered a sensational innings win against Australia in the second Test match in Gqeberha on Thursday. The victory has given them an excellent chance to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). Australia has the best record in the WTC, with only three losses in 12 matches.
They took an innings-and-31-run win against South Africa, giving them the second-best PCT (points percentage) at 75.00. New Zealand is in second place and also has a great chance to finish in the top two. The result has improved South Africa's PCT to 66.67, but they are still in third place.
Australia will host the final match of the WTC at The Oval in London next year. Although South Africa's win has not given India much of a chance to qualify, it did prevent Cummins' team from taking a commanding lead over the Kiwis. New Zealand currently has a PCT of 72.22, which is second in the rankings.
India need a strong finish to keep WTC final hopes alive, as South Africa is already cruising
India are currently fifth in the WTC standings, having to play seven matches in the WTC. They face New Zealand in a two-test series and host Australia in a five-match series. They need to get crucial points from these matches and hope that at least two of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa drop points in their remaining games to finish in the top two.
India need 62 points from their seven tests to finish with a PCT of 60.00, meaning they can only afford to lose two matches. They may not even get enough points to finish top two, as the WTC standings depend on the results of matches between the teams that they have to finish above.
The previous WTC showed how close they had to be to qualify, with South Africa and Australia finishing second and third with PCTs of 69.44 and 67.54, respectively. India will need a good run of form in addition to positive results elsewhere for qualification.
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Bangladesh are fourth in the WTC standings and have a slim chance of finishing second. Four of their remaining six matches are at home, meaning they could get valuable points from playing in front of a home crowd.
They will need to make the most of their home advantage and hope the teams above them drop points in their remaining games. With four teams vying for one spot, the latest result in Gqeberha has made qualification for the WTC final even more tense.