Team India Qualify For World Test Championships Final As Kane Williamson Powers New Zealand To 2-Wicket Win Over Sri Lanka

Team India have qualified for their second-successive World Test Championships Final and will face Australia from June 7 this year at the Oval.

Photo: ANI

Rohit Sharma’s Team India will be playing in their second successive World Test Championships Final and they have Kane Williamson to that for that. Williamson’s brilliant unbeaten 121 powered New Zealand to a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka on a rain-hit final fay at Christchurch on Monday (March 13). The Black Caps win means that Sri Lanka can no longer overtake India in the WTC standings.

The Lankans needed to win the two-match series against New Zealand 2-0 to have any chance of qualifying for the final. India have now qualified for the final along with the fourth Test opponents Australia even if they draw or lose the final game in Ahmedabad.

Chasing 285 to win on the final day with nine wickets left, Williamson hammered 121 off 194 balls and his 142-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (81, 86 balls) ensured that New Zealand managed to overhaul the target in 70 overs.

A loss in the first Test means that Sri Lanka’s percentage has slipped to 48 as compared to India who are at 60 and Australia at 68. Dimuth Karunaratne’s Lankan side can no longer overtake the Indians.

India have qualified for the World Test Championship final!

They'll take on Australia at The Oval for the #WTC23 mace!

More: https://t.co/75Ojgct97X pic.twitter.com/ghOOL4oVZB

— ICC (@ICC) March 13, 2023

Even if India were to lose the fourth Test to Australia in calamitous circumstances, and Sri Lanka won the second Test in Christchurch, it'd be Rohit Sharma’s men to progress to the WTC final. The former seems unlikely with India up by 91 runs in the first innings over Australia in the fourth Test and Steve Smith’s side yet to overhaul the deficit even after lunch on Day 5.

The two sides will now face off against each other again at the Oval in the WTC Final at the Oval in London from June 7. India had faced New Zealand in the first-ever WTC final last year which they lost.

The Black Caps managed to beat the Sri Lankans off the final ball of the Test match. Lahiru Kumara bowled a bouncer to Kane Williamson, which he missed but managed to scamper through for a bye to clinch the win. Kumara managed to get a direct hit but replays showed that Williamson had managed to make his ground to deny Sri Lanka the satisfaction of a draw in the dramatic clash.