Rain had the last say at The Gabba, Brisbane as the third Test ended in a draw. Australia suffered a batting collapse on Day 5 and lost seven wickets for 89 runs before they declared the innings. Australia set a target of 275 for India with more than 50 overs left in the day. However, rain interrupted in the third over of India's run chase and the third Test ended in a draw.
Both India and Australia shared four points after the Gabba Test. Australia and India held the second and third spot respectively in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 standings but their winning percentage dipped.
WTC Points Table -
| Rank | Teams | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draw | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 76 | 63.33 |
| 2. | Australia | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 106 | 58.89 |
| 3. | India | 17 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 114 | 55.88 |
| 4. | New Zealand | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 81 | 48.21 |
| 5. | Sri Lanka | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 60 | 45.45 |
| 6. | England | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 114 | 43.18 |
| 7. | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 33.33 |
| 8. | Bangladesh | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 45 | 31.25 |
| 9. | West Indies | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 32 | 24.24 |
WTC final qualification scenarios
Now, India need to win the next two Tests to ensure they reach the WTC final without any help from other teams. If they lose one of the Test, they will require favour from Sri Lanka. Also, if Pakistan beat South Africa in both Tests, India will go through.
On the other hand, Australia need to win the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Even if they lose they are cleanswept by Sri Lanka next year, they will progress to the WTC final.
South Africa need just one win to qualify for their maiden WTC final. Under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, they haven't lost a single Test.
Ashwin announces retirement
If India make it to the WTC final whether it is against South Africa or defending champions Australia, Ashwin will travel to England as a former international cricket. After the draw, Ashwin announced his retirement from Test cricket in the post-match press conference alongside captain Rohit Sharma. His retirement is effective immediately. Currently, the 38-year-old is the highest wicket-taker in WTC history. He has 195 wickets from 41 Tests. He is closely followed by Australia's Nathan Lyon (190 wickets) and Pat Cummins (189 wickets).
