NEW DELHI: While an India vs Pakistan World Test Championship (WTC) final is theoretically possible, recent results have made it an almost impossible scenario. Pakistan's historic defeat against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has made their already slim chances of reaching the WTC final even slimmer. India are once again one of the favourites to reach the final and a clash between the two rivals would have been a blockbuster. However, Pakistan's road to the final looks tougher than ever.
Pakistan currently sits eighth in the WTC points table with just two wins from six matches and a win percentage of 30.56. This significant decline in performance, especially in red-ball cricket, leaves them with a steep mountain to climb if they hope to reach the WTC final.
Pakistan still have eight Test matches remaining in the current WTC cycle. They need to win all of them to improve their chances of reaching the finals. The task will be tough as they face tough opponents like England, West Indies and South Africa, and the series against the Proteas will be played away from home.
Meanwhile, India and Australia remain favourites to meet again in next year's WTC final. Both teams sit at the top of the standings by a considerable margin. India have won six of their nine matches and are at the top with a win percentage of 68.52, while defending champions Australia are slightly behind with eight wins from their 12 matches and a win percentage of 62.50. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year will be crucial for both teams as they aim to reach the final.
Bangladesh's recent win against Pakistan has seen them move up to sixth place in the points table with two wins from five matches and a win percentage of 40.00. The win marks a major improvement for Bangladesh in Test cricket.
In another notable match, England defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first Test, moving up from seventh to fourth in the WTC points table. As a result, Sri Lanka dropped to fifth place.
An India vs Pakistan final remains an attractive prospect, but given Pakistan's current position and recent performances, Pakistan's path to a WTC final is looking increasingly unlikely.
