Aakash Chopra Analyzes India’s Shot at 3rd WTC Final

Cricket commentator and former India opener Aakash Chopra has shared his thoughts on India’s strong chances of reaching their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) final. As of September 2024, India is leading the WTC points table and is in prime position to qualify for the final, which will be held at Lord’s in June 2025. Australia, the defending champions, are close behind, setting the stage for what could be another India vs. Australia summit clash.

India’s Road to the Final

India currently tops the WTC points table with 68.52 percentage points, followed by Australia with 62.50 points. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra analyzed India’s prospects and discussed how they could secure their place in the final. Chopra mentioned that India’s upcoming home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand will be crucial. The team must perform well on home soil to build a solid foundation before their challenging away series against Australia.

Chopra stated that if India manages to win a couple of Tests in Australia, they will likely secure their spot in the final, provided they maintain a strong record in the earlier home series. “We are moving fast towards our third consecutive WTC final. India are the table toppers currently. They have 10 matches left. If India win all their 10 matches, our best possible finish will be 85%,” Chopra remarked.

However, Chopra noted that even without winning all their games, India could still qualify by securing just one or two victories against Australia if they avoid dropping matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Australia’s Strong Contention

Australia, the defending WTC champions, are also in a strong position to qualify. They have two series remaining, including a five-match home series against India and a two-match series against Sri Lanka. Aakash Chopra believes that if Australia beats India 4-1 at home, they will be in a commanding position to qualify for the final. “Australia are very strong contenders. Their place at Lord’s will be secured if they beat us 4-1,” Chopra noted.

If Australia wins all seven of their remaining Tests, their maximum point percentage will be 76.3%, which would almost guarantee them a spot in the final.

New Zealand and Bangladesh’s Tough Road

Chopra also analyzed the prospects of other teams, particularly New Zealand and Bangladesh. The former India opener highlighted that New Zealand faces a difficult path to the final, with tough away series against Sri Lanka and India. “New Zealand’s road is slightly tough. They will have to play the first two Test matches against Sri Lanka in Galle, that won’t be easy. If they come out from there, they have to play three against India and then three at home against England,” Chopra explained.

For New Zealand to qualify, they would need to win at least seven of their remaining eight matches, which Chopra believes is a challenging task.

Bangladesh, currently ranked fourth in the WTC points table, also has a difficult journey ahead. Although they recently secured a 2-0 series win against Pakistan, Chopra opined that their chances of reaching the final are slim. “They have six matches left, which includes two in India, two in West Indies, and two at home against South Africa. If they win all those matches, they can reach 72.9%. They will need to win at least five of the six matches for their qualification chances to remain alive,” he said.

England and South Africa’s Chances

England, the reigning Ashes champions, find themselves in a precarious position, needing to win all of their remaining matches and hope for favorable results in other series. England will play three Tests against Pakistan and three against New Zealand. Even if they win all six matches, their maximum point percentage will only be 62.5%, which means they will rely heavily on other teams dropping points to make the final.

South Africa, currently in seventh place, still have a shot at qualifying. With six Tests remaining, including home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, followed by an away series against Bangladesh, South Africa can reach a maximum of 69.4%. According to Chopra, this gives them a better chance than England, but their fate depends on India’s performance in Australia.

Chopra’s Suggestions for the WTC Format

In addition to analyzing the current standings, Aakash Chopra offered suggestions to improve the WTC format. He proposed that the WTC final should be a best-of-three series rather than a single match, to reduce the impact of uncontrollable factors like weather. Furthermore, Chopra advocated for a two-tier system with promotions and relegations, which he believes would increase competitiveness and interest in the tournament.

WTC Latest Points Table

With the WTC final set for June 2025, India and Australia are currently the frontrunners. However, as Chopra highlighted, there is still a lot of cricket left to play, and teams like New Zealand, Bangladesh, England, and South Africa will be vying for their chance to compete at Lord’s. India, under the leadership of skipper Rohit Sharma and a strong squad, will be looking to make history by qualifying for their third consecutive WTC final.

As the competition intensifies, cricket fans will be eagerly watching to see how the final few series of this WTC cycle unfold.

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WTC Points Table (as of September 2024):