The race to reach the 2025 World Test Championship Final is almost over with four teams left in the running.
Australia, India and South Africa are in the lead, although Sri Lanka still hope to reach next June at Lord's, while England are out of contention due to too many losses and too much indiscretion over their ' two-year cycle.
What does each side need?
South Africa
Games left = two at home to Pakistan
A sweep of their two-match series at home against Sri Lanka has put the Proteas in the driving seat for the final. As long as they win at least one of their two Tests at home against Pakistan, they will qualify.
Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins celebrate Australia's victory over India in the day-night Test
Australia
Games left = two at home for India; two in Sri Lanka
Reigning champions Australia will reach their second World Test Championship final if they win their last two Tests against India, in Melbourne and Sydney.
If that series – currently locked at 1-1 after three matches – ends 2-2, the Baggy Greens will need to win one of their two matches against Sri Lanka in early 2025.
India
Games left = two in Australia
India need to win their last two Tests against Australia to guarantee a place at Lord's. A 2-2 draw would leave Sri Lanka dependent on them to win their series at home against Australia in January.
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Sky Sports' Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain consider whether India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is the best player in the world across all formats of the game
Sri Lanka
Games left = two at home to Australia
While Sri Lanka were more competitive in the second Test against South Africa, going down by 109 runs, that result, along with their humiliating loss in the series opener the Durban – a match in which they were bowled out for their lowest Test score of 42 – meaning they are all but out of contention.
They just need to sweep Australia from their two-Test series and get a lot of favors along the way. It doesn't look good…
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Sri Lanka were bowled out for 42 in 14 overs when they lost to South Africa in the first Test at Durban.
How does the points system work?
Each of the nine teams – Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies – will play six series (three at home and three away).
As the teams do not play the same number of games, the record is determined by the percentage of points won, with the 12 points awarded for a win getting you 100 percent, the six for a 50 percent tie and the four for a 33.3 percent draw. percent.
If you lose a game, you leave with nothing.
Ben Stokes' England are out of the race to reach the World Test Championship final
Teams can lose points for over-rate offences, as England and Australia did during The 2023 Ashes and, more recently, the series-opening Test against New Zealand.
England were deducted a total of 19 points for too many slow paces in the first, second, fourth and fifth Tests of last year's Ashes, while their disdain in Christchurch cost them three another for them – bringing the total to 22 in total.
