Following New Zealand’s thrilling win over Sri Lanka in Christchurch on Sunday, India have secured their spot in the World Test Championship 2021-23 final, where they will take on Australia for the title at The Oval in London from June 7. With this, India have become back-to-back finalists in WTC, having made it to the summit clash of the previous cycle where they lost to New Zealand.
By the time India went into their final Test of the cycle – against Australia in Ahmedabad – it was a two-horse race between them and Sri Lanka for the one vacant spot for the big game. The qualification scenario was a touch complex for Sri Lanka, as they didn’t just need to win both their Tests in New Zealand but also for India to either lose or draw in Ahmedabad. Though their hopes would’ve piqued with the sort of start India made and their own domination in the first couple of days in Christchurch, the dream of making the final was shattered on a rain-hit Day 5, and a last-ball loss.
India’s journey in this second cycle of the WTC began with the Test series in England in August-September 2021 under the Kohli-Shastri regime, where they won both their games in London and took a 2-1 series lead before the coronavirus pandemic led to an indefinite postponement of the fifth Test. The next time they played the format – a two-match home series against New Zealand – Rahul Dravid had graduated up to take the spot left vacant by Ravi Shastri. India won that series with a victory in Mumbai following a draw in Kanpur.
