SL make task difficult with Durban loss

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 02:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lankan batters will have to deliver if they want their team in the WTC final

Five-horse race to WTC final at Lord’s

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

By losing the first cricket Test to South Africa at Durban, Sri Lanka has only made it a rather difficult task for them to qualify for a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s next year.

Placed at number three before the start of the two-Test series, Sri Lanka lost ground with the defeat and slipped to number five, while at the same time, South Africa, who were fifth, leapfrogged to number two in the WTC standings.

More than any of the other three contenders for a berth in the final – India, Australia, and New Zealand – South Africa is best placed to grab one of the two spots. They need to win all their remaining three Tests (1 v Sri Lanka, 2 v Pakistan) which are all at home.

Sri Lanka have a tough task ahead of them trying to beat South Africa in the second Test starting at Gqeberha on 5 December following their massive 233-run loss in the first Test, where they were bundled out for their lowest total in Test history – 42.

If they win the second Test against South Africa and then beat Australia in the two Tests at home in January, it would guarantee Sri Lanka a place in the final. A loss to South Africa in the second Test and two wins against Australia will mean that Sri Lanka will have to depend on several other results to reach the final.

New Zealand’s loss to England by eight wickets in the first Test at Christchurch has placed them in a position where several results will have to go their way; that too, if they beat England in the remaining two Tests.

India’s resounding 295-run win in the first Test against Australia at Perth saw them vault to the top of the WTC standings, keeping their chances of making it to the final at Lord’s alive. To ensure they finish in the top two, India must beat Australia 3-0 in the five-match series.

A defeat at Perth means Australia has plenty to do to make it to the final. Australia, currently placed third, need four wins and a draw in their last six matches (4 v India, 2 v Sri Lanka) to finish within the first two.

The next few weeks are going to be crucial for the five contenders as they battle to get on the road to Lord’s.