If India fails to win the fourth Test against Australia, their PCT will be 58.79 or lower, depending on the outcome. With New Zealand winning by two wickets in Christchurch, all permutations and combinations have been thrown out the window.
New Zealand batters approached a win on the final day, chasing 285 at the Hagley Oval, with Kane Williamson scoring a century in the second innings. With eight runs needed off the final over, New Zealand would seal the game with two wickets in hand on the final ball of the day.
While India and Australia are still playing on the final day of the four-match Test series, with the hosts leading 2-1, the result in Ahmedabad will have no bearing on their chances of appearing in the 2021/23 Test cycle final this summer.
Australia had sealed their place in the final with a 68.51 PCT after their nine-wicket win in the Indore Test last week. The Indore result had a negative impact on India’s PCT, which dropped from 64.06 to 60.29.
To avoid relying on Sri Lanka for finals qualification, India needed to win the series 4-0 or 3-1, but the current holders of the ICC Test mace have done them a favor.
For India, it will be their second consecutive qualification for the summit clash, having faced New Zealand in the 2019/21 cycle and lost by eight wickets. Last time around, Australia missed out on a final spot by a 0.8 point margin to their Trans-Tasman rivals.
