Aussies facing double whammy as World Test title hangs in balance after defeat to India in Perth

Australia’s heavy defeat to India in the opening Test of the summer exposed a number of cracks in the team – but the loss could be a double whammy, with further pain still to come.

Australia is facing a double whammy of despair if the Test team can’t turn around the India series with the World Test Championship (WTC) defence in jeopardy.

While the build-up to this summer has been centred around Pat Cummins’ side’s bid to win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after four successive Test series defeats to India, another trophy will slip from the hosts’ grasp if they can’t turn back the tide against the tourists.

Though undermined by an arcane points system and flawed by myriad scheduling quirks, the WTC has nevertheless become a sought-after prize for Australia.

Having narrowly missed the final of the first two-year cycle in 2021 on the back of over rate points deductions, Australia crushed India in last year’s decider at The Oval.

The advent of the WTC has been attributed as a reason for selectors’ reluctance to stray from their best available XI for every Test, while the 2023 victory was the first achievement listed when Cricket Australia announced coach Andrew McDonald’s contract extension in late October.

India stomped all over Australia in Perth – and it could have long-term ramifications for the home side. Picture: Getty

Australia hasn’t yet lost a Test series in this two-year WTC cycle but the 295-run hammering by India in Perth bumped McDonald’s outfit from the top of the points standings.

India moved to first with that win, while South Africa’s thumping victory over Sri Lanka in Durban meant the Aussies slipped out of the top two altogether, meaning that as things currently stand the Proteas would face India in next June’s final at Lord’s.

There are 13 Tests remaining in the qualification period, with the Aussies involved in six (the remaining four against India and two away to Sri Lanka early next year).

It wasn’t all bad news for Australia in recent days however, with England doing the Aussies a favour by beating New Zealand in the first Test at Christchurch.

That both teams have also subsequently been penalised points for over rate infractions further assisted Australia’s cause.

That deduction pushed the Black Caps to fifth on the table and needing the most to go right from here of the five sides still realistically in the hunt for a spot.

England may have done Australia a favour after toppling New Zealand over the weekend. Picture: AFP

South Africa face fourth-placed Sri Lanka in the second Test of their series beginning on Thursday night (AEDT) at Gqeberha, with the Proteas then facing Pakistan in two Tests starting on Boxing Day.

NZ (fifth) face England (sixth) in the second of three Tests between them at Wellington, beginning on Friday, hours before the Aussies square off against India in Adelaide.

Given so many teams are still in the running there remain many different permutations even at this relatively late stage in the cycle. For Australia however, four wins out six will likely be enough.

Pat Cummins and his team were on top of the world in June last year after winning the ICC WTC Mace. Picture: Getty

It is highly plausible that the Aussies’ hopes of making the final could hinge on the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on February 6, which is the last qualification game.

Should they miss the final narrowly, Australia will rue the shock Gabba loss to the West Indies earlier this year. The Windies sit at the bottom of the table after a 101-run loss to Bangladesh in Kingston this week.

Australia was also docked points for slow over rates during last year’s Ashes series.

That South Africa is in contention is even more remarkable given the Proteas sent a weakened team to NZ at the start of the year after Cricket South Africa prioritised its franchise SA20 tournament.

Tests remaining:

South Africa v Sri Lanka (Gqeberha, December 5-9)

New Zealand v England (Wellington, December 6-10)

Australia v India (Adelaide, December 6-10)

New Zealand v England (Hamilton, December 14-18)

Australia v India (Brisbane, December 14-18)

Australia v India (Melbourne, December 26-30)

South Africa v Pakistan (Centurion, December 26-30)

Australia v India (Sydney, January 3-7)

South Africa v Pakistan (Cape Town, January 3-7)

Pakistan v West Indies (Karachi, January 16-20)

Pakistan v West Indies (Multan, January 24-28)

Sri Lanka v Australia (Galle, January 29-February 2)

Sri Lanka v Australia (Galle, February 6-10)

Final (Lord’s, June 11-15)

Originally published as Aussies facing double whammy as World Test title hangs in balance after defeat to India in Perth