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Australia's triumph over New Zealand in the two-match Test series saw them climb to the second spot in the World Test Championship standings, setting up their upcoming five-match Test series against India later this year.
Before the conclusion of the series in Christchurch on Monday, the Kiwis had a firm grip on the second spot. However, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey's batting masterclass played spoilsport, with the hosts dropping to the third spot while the defending champions climbed to second in the WTC rankings. Australia are now in the second spot with eight wins, three defeats and a draw with a point percentage of 62.50. India's triumph in the scenic HPCA Stadium against England on Sunday helped them reclaim the spot at the summit with a point percentage of 68.51. With last year's finalists sitting top of the standings again, India's tour of Australia in November will play a crucial role in deciding the two teams that will feature in the WTC 2025 final. If India go on to lose all five games in the series, they will end up outside the top-two spot and will see a major drop in their point percentage. If Australia suffer a whitewash in the home Test series, they will also lose their second spot allowing the likes of New Zealand and Pakistan to capitalise on the opportunity. In the event of a series draw (2-2), India will drop to the second spot and Australia will move to the summit with a better point percentage. The series will conclude in January 2025, just a few months before the WTC final. Both teams will be looking to secure a win to stay in contention for another WTC final. Throughout the series, India missed the services of their frontline players like Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and KL Rahul. Australia's pitches are famed for the bounce and pace speedsters are able to enjoy. It was evident during Pakistan's tour of Australia at the end of the last year. Pacers across both teams combined to bag a total of 79 wickets in the three-match series while spinners managed to scalp only 21. The possibility of Mohammed Shami returning will bolster India's pace attack with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj expected to spearhead India's fast-bowling attack. For Australia, their established pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will look to cause trouble to India batters. The experience of Kohli and Rahul could play a pivotal role in neutralizing the threat of Australia's renowned speedsters. Coming to Day 4 action, Australia resumed their innings from 77/4 with Travis Head (17*) and Mitchell Marsh (27*) unbeaten on the crease. With Australia reduced to 80/5, a match-winning partnership between Marsh (80) and Carey (98*). Both together put on a partnership of 140 runs to guide Australia to a series win. (ANI)
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