Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has added that India cannot afford to lose the fifth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 if they want to keep hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. He added that while a draw in the fifth Test will knock India out, a win for Australia will seal their place in the final as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Our fate is no longer in our hands. We cannot win the series from here. Our hopes will remain alive if we win (the last Test). We can’t lose this series. For Australia, if the last match is a draw, they will have to avoid defeat in at least one game against Sri Lanka.”

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“If we lose the Sydney Test and lose the series 3-1, we are out, done and dusted. We will be out of the WTC cycle. Then we have no chance of reaching the final and as soon as we lose the Test match, Australia qualifies. Then the Australia-South Africa final will be confirmed and the Sri Lanka series will not matter at all,” he added.

In the same video, Aakash Chopra stated that Team India would qualify for the WTC final if they win the Sydney Test and Australia don’t win a game against Sri Lanka as well.

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“If we win the Sydney Test match and end the series 2-2, Australia shouldn’t win even a single match in Sri Lanka. It’s okay if they draw and it’s even better if they lose. It’s a two-match series and all your hopes will be tied to Australia not winning even one match out of that if you win the game. If we win, we are alive courtesy Sri Lanka. The only way for Sri Lanka to qualify is for the last match of the BGT to end in a draw. If India win, they don’t have any chance, and if Australia win, no one has any chance. If it is drawn and they beat Australia 2-0, then Sri Lanka can qualify,” Aakash Chopra concluded.