New Delhi, Feb 2: Australia on Tuesday (February 2) postponed their upcoming tour of South Africa next month citing "unacceptable health and safety risk" in that country because of a fresh COVID-19 outbreak. The decision has virtually knocked them out of contention from the World Test Championship final, scheduled to be held later this year.
The Australian team was scheduled to play a three-Test series during the tour. However, with the host nation battling a second wave of COVID-19 and a new variant of the virus, Cricket Australia's (CA) interim chief executive Nick Hockley on Tuesday said travelling to South Africa is not possible given the current scenario.
Australia's tour of South Africa called off due to coronavirus
The announcement is a blow to Australia's chances of qualifying for the WTC final, scheduled to be played in June in England. The top two teams in the points table will make the final. Australia, currently third in the WTC points table behind leaders India and New Zealand, needed to win two Tests in South Africa and prevent their hosts from winning one, to ensure their spot in the inaugural WTC decider.
For Australia to have a chance at qualification, India and England will need to draw at least twice in their four-Test series starting on Friday (February 2).
With Australia being virtually knocked out of the race to the final, that means New Zealand have qualified for the final of World Test Championship. This also means that either India or England are going to be the other finalist.
With 71.7 per cent points India are at the top of the table while England are placed at fourth spot with 68.7 per cent points.
Here's how India and England can make it to the WTC final:
# Team India need another 69 points from the England series to ensure they finish above Australia.
# For India to qualify for WTC final, they would need to beat England by any of the following margins in the upcoming four-Test series:
4-0
3-0
3-1
2-0
2-1
# For England to qualify, they would need to beat India by 4-0, 3-0 or 3-1.
# Any other margin apart from the ones mentioned above in India-England series, Australia will qualify.
Also, had Australia not docked four WTC points for slow over-rate at MCG against India, they would have now qualified for WTC final in place of New Zealand.