'Australia ko bhi WTC final ka darr baith gaya hai'

By managing to draw the third Test in Brisbane after a gritty effort by tailenders Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah, India have given themselves the best chance to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) and get a foot inside the World Test Championship (WTC) final -- feels former Pakistan batter

Basit Ali

.
A last-wicket stand of 47 runs beween Akash (31) and Bumrah (10*), along with persistent rain, pushed the Gabba Test to a draw and kept the five-Test series level at 1-1 going into the fourth Test. And with pitches in

Melbourne

and Sydney expected to not trouble the Indian batters as much as Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, Basit believes Australia will be a bit concerned about their chances of qualifing for the

WTC final

and ending a 10-year wait to win the BGT.
The fourth Test begins in Melbourne on Boxing Day, December 26, and the concluding match of the series will be played in Sydney from January 3, 2025.

"Melbourne will offer the best wicket (compared to the ones used in three earlier Tests). It will be India's best chance to win," said Basit on his YouTube channel.
It is being speculated that India may go in with two spinners in Melbourne, which will most likely require the impressive and in-form all-rounder Nitish Reddy to sit out.
If that happens, India might include off-spinner Washington Sundar to accompany Jadeja as the two spin-bowling all-rounders, with Ravichandran Ashwin having retired.

"Kya India Nitish Reddy ki qurbani dega do spinners ke saath ja ke (will India be willing to sacrifice Reddy to include a second spinner in the eleven)?" Basit asked. "Sydney and Melbourne (pitches) can allow (teams to play) two spinners."
The series had been scheduled in a way that Australian pacers got to attack Indian batters on the fastest tracks in the country in the first three matches, followed by historically not-as-threatening pitches in Melbourne and Sydney. But India have done well to keep the series at 1-1 heading into the last two Tests.

After surprising the hosts with a 295-run win in Perth, India lost the pink-ball match in Adelaide by 10 wickets and then drew the third Test in Brisbane.
"Australia ko bhi darr baith gaya hai ke agar hum yeh wala match haare toh hum bhi WTC ke final se bahar ho jayenge (Australia are now scared about the possibility that they might bow out of the race to WTC final after losing in Melbourne)," said Basit. "They have two Tests in Sri Lanka (in January-February), which won't be easy at all. Sri Lanka is a very dangerous team in their home conditions."
Basit said India ended the Gabba Test on a high despite a draw, which gives them the momentum, but their batters will have to find form to put Australia under pressure.
"India have a better chance because they have the momentum after saving the follow-on (in the Brisbane Test).
"Cricket-wise they have the momentum, but in Melbourne if their batters make the same mistake like they did in Adelaide and Brisbane, then India will face problems. Otherwise, if you see Australia's batting as well, they have just one batter (Travis Head) who is in form, even though Steve Smith too has scored a century...But now it's the turn of others, be it (Marnus) Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, (Usman) Khawaja.
"Similarly, (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and Virat (Kohli) scored hundreds in the first Test. Now it's the turn of Rishabh Pant, (Shubman) Gill; they haven't been able to score runs yet. Rohit (Sharma) is also due. Melbourne is the best ground, with side boundaries bigger and the straight ones shorter.
"It won't play like the pitch you are seeing (with grass on it). This match won't end in 2 or 3 days; it will go till the 4th and 5th day," Basit concluded.