The easy win in the second Test in Delhi means India have improved their points percentage to 64.06 and also taken a giant stride towards qualification for the World Test Championship final scheduled at the Oval in June. The loss saw Australia's percentage reduced to 66.67 but they remained atop the standings followed by India.
The six-wicket win by India also signalled an end of race for South Africa leaving Sri Lanka as the lone challenger for a place in the summit clash apart from the top two teams. Sri Lanka are currently placed third in the standings on 53.33%, and they will head to New Zealand next month for a two-Test series.
They not only have to win both Tests, but will also be reliant on favourable results in the remaining Tests between India and Australia to stand any chance of qualification.
The league stage of the WTC only has six more Tests – two in each of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand, and the West Indies’ tour of South Africa. With the Proteas ruled out, the first two series gained prominence.
A look at different scenarios for three teams...
India
Have they made it
They are on their way to the final but haven't made it yet.
Can they be knocked out
They can only miss out on a spot in the final if they don't win the remaining two Tests. The maximum PCT Sri Lanka can reach is 61.11%. To make sure they stay ahead of Sri Lanka, India need to win at least one more match as two draws will only take them to 60.65%. Even if they don't win the two matches, they can still hope to qualify by backing New Zealand. If the Kiwis prevent their opponents from a 2-0 sweep, then India can qualify as a 1-0 will only help Lanka to end up with 55.55%, which will be lower than India's 56.94% even if they lose the last two games against Australia.
Australia
Have they made it
Not yet but they are pretty strong contenders.
Can they be knocked out
The team from Down Under can lose the remaining Tests in Indore and Ahmedabad but can still make it to the final. If they indeed lose the matches, they will finish on 59.65%. They then have to depend on New Zealand to draw at least a match as two wins mean Sri Lanka will be through. And if Australia draw the matches, they will end up on 61.40%, which will be higher than Lanka's maximum of 61.11%.
Sri Lanka
First they have to win the Test series against hosts New Zealand 2-0. But that alone will not guarantee them a spot. Their hope hinges on the final result of the India-Australia series. If it ends 3-1 or 3-0 in India's favour, then Sri Lanka are out. In other words, the series in India should end 4-0, 2-0, 2-1 or 2-2 with the hosts being the first team.
Explainer
WTC points
In the 2021-23 WTC, teams get 12 points for a win, 3 for a draw and 6 for a tie.
PTC calculation
PCT, which means points percentage, is calculated on the basis of the highest points the team can get and the total points the team has got. For example, Sri Lanka have played 10 matches so far, so the maximum points they could have secured are 120. But their actual points are 64. To determine the percentage, actual points will be divided by the maximum points and the results will be multiplied by 100.
Note: For slow over-rates teams will lose one championship point for each over short.