Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Battle for WTC final spot heats up as marauding India takes on resilient Aussies

Indian captain Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the 2nd day of the 1st test cricket match between India and Australia (Pic Courtesy: PTI)

The emblem of supremacy in India vs Australia Tests is held by the legends after whom it is named, Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar. There lies a freshness to India-Australia cricket rivalry that goes missing from series against other teams. Be it England or Pakistan, tournaments come with baggage of politics, culture, and religion. The focus is always almost cricket, with Australia, and the game is not part of a wider narrative. Cricket stands for itself, not reduced to a mere vessel for religious or political sentiments.

The Pat Cummins-led side began their bid on Thursday to cement their position as the undisputed No. 1-ranked team in Test cricket in the same city that saw them lift their last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India.

The Aussies exercised control from the mid-1990s to 2007, having won a record 16 Tests in a row twice, besides clinching three-straight ODI World titles. While hosts India will look to retain the elusive trophy on home shores after a historic Test series triumph in Australia, the visitors would be trying to put an end to their decade-long wait for a Test series win here.

The contest in itself is a drooling prospect, but the stakes are higher than ever in the current edition. Any outcome of the Test series will directly impact teams who are in the race for a spot in the World Test Championship final later this year.

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Australia have already set one foot in the title clash at the Oval after having lost just one Test match in the current iteration of the WTC event. Meanwhile, India is locked in a three-way tussle to acquire percentage points with Sri Lanka and South Africa. Head coach Rahul Dravid can heave a sigh of relief only if the Men in Blue manage to win at least three matches.

If this wasn't enough, India would also be eager to grab the opportunity of eclipsing top-ranked Australia in the ICC Test rankings. In order for Team India to climb the rungs to reach higher up, it must ensure to win by a margin of two or more matches in all formats to seize the top spot. Pat Cummins and Co. dominate the WTC points table with a 75.56 winning percentage, followed by India who boast of a 58.93%.

If India manages a whitewash series win against Australia, the latter will lose their top rank which could leave their spot in the final compromised. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will play New Zealand in a two-match series and could elevate their winning percentage to 61.11 if they defeat the Kiwis. A 4-0 against Aussies would be extra special, but a 3-1 could help India swell the numbers to 62.5%, which would be just enough to reach the final.

A 2-2 result could be intriguing, as India will only acquire a 56.94% winning percentage, which could come to the aid of Sri Lanka, as they will now have a better winning percentage. South Africa have a remote possibility of reaching the final only if they beat West Indies 2-0 in the upcoming series, but they have to bank on the outcome of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Test series.