How Pakistan Can Help Rohit Sharma-Led India Reach World Test Championship Final?

India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) Final have taken a significant hit following their loss in the pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide. With the third Test hanging in the balance due to India's batting struggles with the bat and the threat of rain, the WTC dream seems to be slipping away. 

India have played the first two editions of the World Test Championship final, and participating in the third one will be on top of Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir 's list right now. However, losing 3-0 to New Zealand at home put a massive dent on India's chances to qualify for the summit clash and now the challenges in Australia are further deepening the hole.   

Can India qualify for the WTC final?

To qualify for the WTC Final without relying on other results, India need to secure a 4-1 win in the ongoing five-match Test series against Australia. However, if the third Test ends in a draw, India will have to win at least one of the remaining two Test matches to stay in contention.

A win in one of the next two games will give India a better Percentage of Contest (PCT) than Australia, provided the hosts lose both their matches against Sri Lanka. If India win both their remaining games, they will qualify for the WTC Final regardless of Australia's results against Sri Lanka.

However, if the series ends 2-2, India's fate will depend on the results of other teams. In this scenario, India will qualify for the WTC Final if Sri Lanka beat Australia 1-0 in their two-match series. But if Australia win one game against Sri Lanka, India's WTC hopes will be dashed.

How Pakistan can help India?

Interestingly, Pakistan can also play a crucial role in helping India qualify for the WTC Final. If the India vs Australia series ends 2-2, and Pakistan beat South Africa in their two-match Test series, India will qualify for the WTC Final. In this scenario, South Africa will miss out, and India will face Australia in the WTC Final, a repeat of the last edition.

Australia's path to the WTC Final is relatively simpler. If the India vs Australia series ends 2-2, Australia will qualify for the WTC Final if they can manage a 1-1 draw against Sri Lanka.

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