World Test Championship: How can New Zealand help India in qualifying for WTC 2023 final?

Team India are playing Australia in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Now, after losing the Indore Test, the Indian team want to keep their fortune in their own hands so they are left with no choice but to win the fourth encounter to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Apart from Team India winning the fourth Test, there is one more way through which the Indian team can qualify for the World Test Championship final. New Zealand who are the reigning WTC maize holders are playing against Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series at home. 

How can New Zealand help Team India to qualify for the World Test Championship final?

Sri Lanka are also in contention to play the World Test Championship final if they defeat New Zealand at home 2-0 and if Team India also lose or draw the fourth Test match vs Australia. The main highlight here is that the Kiwis will either have to beat the Lankan lions in the first or second Test or draw a game.

Sri Lanka gives tough fight to Kiwis in Christchurch

If we talk about the first Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the visitors are giving a tough fight to the hosts in the first Test match played at the Hagley Oval ground in Christchurch. 

Sri Lanka batting first achieved a first-innings score of 355, where in reply New Zealand also scored 373 runs. At the end of Day 3, the visitors had a lead of 73 runs with Angelo Mathews and Prabadh Jayasuriya at the crease. 

If we get back to the fourth Test match between India and Australia, on Day 3 the match is evenly poised as till now it has been a batsmen-dominated match. The Australian team was in total command of the game before they got bundled for a first-innings score of 480. 

Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green slammed hundreds and put Australia in total command. Khawaja didn't face any difficulty to play the Indian bowlers and played a 180-run knock and also stitched a 208-run partnership with Green who also played a knock of 114. 

Coming in to bat India have looked steady and have scored 188/2 till Tea on Day 3. Shubman Gill also hit his second hundred in Test cricket. 

Team India are already 2-1 up in the series and have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy whereas Australia have already booked a place in the World Test Championship final.