Pakistan’s chances of making the World Test Championship final were in jeopardy after India’s victory in Mirpur, which eliminated Bangladesh. Mehidy Hasan Miraz completed a sensational five-wicket haul by returning a well-set Axar Patel and the dangerous Rishabh Pant on Day 3 in Dhaka. Bangladesh started right where it left off.
India went seven down for just 74 runs, leaving them completely on the back foot. Somewhat far across towards the east, the Babar Azam-drove Pakistan side, who was watching out for the procedures of the Mirpur Test, were preparing their festivals. However, R Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer had other ideas. As India won by three wickets.
They put on a counterpunching partnership that left Bangladesh completely clueless. Pakistan’s chances of making the World Test Championship final were in jeopardy after India’s victory in Mirpur, which eliminated Bangladesh. When Pakistan began their series against England earlier this month at home, they had an easy chance of reaching the WTC final.
However, Pakistan was left with 38.89% PCT after a humiliating whitewash—the first of its kind on domestic soil. Pakistan will now face New Zealand in a two-match home series. If they are successful, Pakistan will finish their 2021/23 WTC cycle with 47.62 percent, which could still be enough for them to finish second, ahead of India.
However, not only did the unbeaten 71-run partnership between Iyer and Ashwin for the eighth wicket—India’s second-highest ever in the fourth innings of a Test match—enhance Pakistan’s chances of reaching the WTC final. Pakistan hopes that India, still in second place with a PCT of 58.93 percent, will suffer a shocking home defeat in the Border-Gavaskar series next month.
In addition to winning the series against New Zealand. India’s PCT would be 45.83 percent with a score of 0-4. In the ongoing series, Pakistan also needs Australia to sweep South Africa clean, New Zealand to defeat Sri Lanka in both of their March Test matches, and West Indies to defeat the Proteas in one of their two Test matches and draw the other.