NEW DELHI: Looking to secure a back-to-back World Test Championship final berth, reigning champions Australia collide with powerhouse India in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy that commenced from November 22 in Perth.
With India suffering a shock home series whitewash to New Zealand recently, the race to the WTC final spot has now spiced up with as many as five teams vying for a place in the finale at Lord's in June next year.
However, Australia sit pretty at the top of the WTC table at the moment with a solid 8 wins in 12 matches in the current 2023-25 cycle.
After India's unprecedented loss to the Kiwis, second-placed Aussies jumped to the top of the table and currently have 90 points from 12 games and a percentage point of 62.50.
But this doesn't guarantee the champions a spot in the final yet as they still need to win a minimum of four of their remaining 7 matches against India (5 Tests at home) and Sri Lanka (2 Tests away).
In the ongoing cycle, Australia have been a force to reckon with but they too have had a couple of shock results coming their way. While the West Indies stunned them in their own backyard, the Aussies also drew the Ashes in England despite having a 2-0 lead.
As Australia now gear up for their last leg of this WTC cycle, here's a look at how they have fared so far in the third edition of the WTC:
The 2023 Ashes - England vs Australia - Series ended in a 2-2 draw
1st Test - Birmingham, June 16-20 - Australia won by 2 wickets
2nd Test - Lord's, London, June 28-July 02 - Australia won by 43 runs
3rd Test - Leeds, July 06-09 - England won by 3 wickets
4th Test - Manchester, July 19-23 - Match drawn
5th Test - The Oval, London, July 27-31 - England won by 49 runs
Australia vs Pakistan 3-Test series (2023-24)- Australia won series 3-0
1st Test - Perth, December 14-17 - Australia won by 360 runs
2nd Test - Melbourne, December 26-29 - Australia won by 79 runs
3rd Test - Sydney, January 3-6, 2024 - Australia won by 8 wickets
Australia vs West Indies 2-Test series - Series ended in a 1-1 draw
1st Test - Adelaide, January 17-19 - Australia won by 10 wickets
2nd Test - Brisbane, January 25-28 - West Indies won by 8 runs
New Zealand vs Australia 2-Test series - Australia won series 2-0
1st Test - Wellington, February 29-March 03 - Australia won by 172 runs
2nd Test - Christchurch, March 8-11 - Australia won by 3 wickets
Currently at the top of the table, Australia still need four wins if they are to defend their title and they can have a best possible finish of 76.32 percentage points.
This means that even if Australia end their home series against India with a 2-2 result, they will still have two Tests against a relatively weaker Sri Lankan side next year to make it to the final.
