India's dominant 7-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the final Test of their two-match series not only sealed a 2-0 whitewash but also solidified their position as a strong contender for a spot in the World Test Championship final. This triumph marked the third consecutive time India has reached the final of this prestigious tournament.
Basit Ali on quality of cricket between India and Pakistan
The Bangladesh team, coming off a historic whitewash win over Pakistan in their home country, faced a stark contrast in their performance against India. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has openly acknowledged the significant disparity in the quality of cricket between India and Pakistan. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ali expressed his belief that Pakistan's current cricketing standards are far below those of India. He emphasized that anyone who perceives Pakistan's cricket to be at a high level is mistaken.
"Fark aap dekh le India aur Pakistan ka fark. Yeh haqeeqat hai, isko maane. Agar aap issi soch me rahenge ki humari cricket bahut achchi hai, toh bekaar hai (Please notice the difference between India and Pakistan. This is the truth, accept it. If you keep thinking that our cricket is very good, then it's a waste)," Ali said.
'India ka muqabla bas Australia se hi hai'
Basit Ali asserts that India's sole true competition in the realm of Test cricket lies with Australia. Notably, these two cricketing giants are set to clash in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, commencing on November 22. Ali also highlighted India's impressive 18-match winning streak at home, which remains unbroken since 2012.
"India ka muqabla bas Australia se hi hai, baaki aise hi hai. Mere khayal se 19th or 20th series jeeti hai (India's only competition is Australia. I think they have won 19 or 20 series at home)," former Pakistani cricketer concluded.
Notably, India currently leads the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 standings with a PCT of 74.2 after 11 matches, putting them in a strong position to qualify for their third consecutive final. Australia and Sri Lanka follow closely behind with PCTs of 62.50 and 55.56, respectively. Rohit Sharma's team will have the opportunity to further solidify their position by securing a 3-0 sweep against New Zealand in their upcoming three-match Test series beginning on October 16. This victory would virtually guarantee India's place in the WTC final. Following this home season, India will face their toughest challenge in the form of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series Down Under in December. This series will be India's final opportunity to earn points in the current WTC cycle.
