They are finally here. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team arrived in Brisbane ahead of their third Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) at the historic Gabba Stadium. While the Australian team already reached the eastern coast a day earlier, India reached on Wednesday, December 11. In fact, their flight got delayed by 3 hours, with the Men in Blue landing in Brisbane at 10:30 AM IST and not at the scheduled 7:30 AM IST.
Watch India arrive in Brisbane
IND vs AUS 3rd BGT Test so crucial in terms of WTC qualification
India got a reality check after receiving a humbling 10-wicket loss against Australia in Adelaide. The hosts outplayed India across all the departements, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins claiming fifers while Travis Head hammered a 140. The clash was over within just 7 sessions. On what was supposed to be the last day of the Test, India conducted an optional training session with red ball. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, all the first-team players attended the session, with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma batting for extended time in the nets.
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After the loss, India’s chances to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final took a massive hit. They were dropped from 1st to third position, below Australia and South Africa, with a PCT of 57.29. Winning the remaining Tests against Australia would boost their Points Percentage (PCT) to 64.04, surpassing Australia’s potential score. Even a 2-0 series win by Australia against Sri Lanka wouldn’t suffice to surpass India’s PCT.
Two more Test victories against Australia would secure India’s qualification, regardless of Australia’s performance against Sri Lanka. However, a single loss would jeopardise India’s chances, making their qualification dependent on favourable outcomes in other series.
To seal WTC Final qualification, India need:
- Australia to lose points against Sri Lanka (optional)
- Two wins against Australia
- South Africa to beat Sri Lanka
