Rohit Sharma-less Indian team scripted a memorable 295-run win at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Monday against Australia, thus taking a 1-0 lead in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. With the win, India reclaimed the top spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, but did it strengthen their chances of making the final at the Lord's in London next year?

At the start of the Test calendar in September, India stood only four wins away from confirming their third straight qualification in the WTC final. They whitewashed Bangladesh at home, winning the series 2-0, to inch closer to getting qualified. However, their long-standing home dominance received a brutal reality check in late October when New Zealand stunned India to not only hand them their first defeat on home turf in 12 years, but also inflicted an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash. The humiliating loss dented India's chances of making the final at Lord's, leaving their entire chances on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

However, India, in the absence of Rohit, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, thrashed Australia by 295 runs, scripting their second-biggest win outside Asia (after a 318-run win vs West Indies, North Sound, 2019) and biggest ever win in SENA nations and in Australia. India also became the first team in history to defeat Australia at the Optus Stadium, with the hosts having won four straight matches at the venue since 2018.

What are India’s chances of reaching WTC final following their Perth win?

With the win, India stand at the top of the WTC table, with a PCT of 61.11, having scripted nine wins in 15 matches so far in the cycle. Australia, meanwhile, slipped to the second spot, with a PCT of 57.69, after eight wins in 13 matches.

However, India's chances of making the final still remain an improbable dream, as the visitors will have to avoid any defeat in their remaining four matches in the series or hold Australia to more than one draw. Their best-case scenario of guaranteeing a ticket to London will be a 4-0 win. Anything less will leave their fate depending on how results go in the remaining Test matches of the WTC cycle.

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