Australia is virtually through the World Test Championship Final 2025 against South Africa in June later this year after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series victory over India 3-1. However, there’s still an outside chance for Sri Lanka to pip Australia for a place in the WTC Final.
Australia currently ranks second in the WTC standings with 63.73 percent points—way ahead of fifth-place Sri Lanka, which has 45.45 percent points. The two teams, however, have to play a two-test series in Sri Lanka from January 29, which can still throw a twist.
It is not enough to beat Australia 2-0 in the series to take Sri Lanka into the WTC Final 2025. SL hopes for Australia to bowl at slow over rates as much as it makes them lose eight points from the overall tally so that Australia can make a chance at the WTC Final.
According to the ICC rules, one point is deducted from the team’s WTC points tally for each over short than the required over-rate. If Australia loses 0-2 and fails to deliver eight overs less throughout their two-Test series, Sri Lanka will overtake them on the points tally and make it to their maiden WTC Final.
It rarely happens that a team bowls eight overs less than the required rate, but cricket is called a game of uncertainty for a reason. There’s also a case from the 2023 Ashes when England was docked 19 points for slow over rates while Australia was penalized 10 points for the same.
The ICC does not impose the slow over rate penalty if a team bowls out the opposition inside 80 overs in an innings. The ICC over rate is 15 per hour, but the umpires decide on the actual over rate based on several interruptions caused by injury, drinks, ball changes, etc.
