On Saturday, New Zealand celebrated a historic achievement by clinching their first-ever Test series victory in India, causing a major shift in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The Kiwis triumphed in the second Test by 113 runs in Pune, led by spinner Mitchell Santner’s impressive 13-wicket haul.
Chasing a target of 359, India was dismissed for 245 on the third day, giving New Zealand a decisive 2-0 lead in the three-match series, making an Indian comeback impossible.
This was India’s fourth loss in the current WTC Championship, narrowing their lead over Australia to just 0.32 percentage points, with Men in Blue now at 62.82 and Australia close behind at 62.50. These back-to-back home losses have jeopardized India’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive WTC final.
The WTC standings have become intensely competitive, with multiple teams contending for the top two positions to qualify for the 2025 WTC final. The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia is now pivotal for India, as winning the series may be essential to keeping their final hopes alive.
New Zealand’s triumph propelled them to fourth in the standings with 50.00 percentage points, pushing South Africa down to fifth at 47.62, while Sri Lanka holds third with 55.56 points. Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed an impressive nine-wicket victory over England in Rawalpindi, securing a 2-1 series win. This result moved Pakistan up to seventh place with 33.33 points, just behind England, who stand at 40.79 points.
What does India need to do to secure a WTC final berth?
New Zealand’s win in the second Test significantly reduced India’s WTC points percentage from 74% to 62.8% within eight days, leaving India with 98 points from 13 matches. Despite this setback, Rohit Sharma’s squad still leads the WTC standings, maintaining a slim margin over second-placed Australia at 62.50%.
The Men in Blue will next face New Zealand in the third Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, marking their last home Test in the current WTC cycle. After this, Rohit Sharma’s side will travel to Australia for the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
To secure a place in the WTC final without external help, India must avoid further losses in their remaining six matches. After their second Test loss to New Zealand, they now need at least five wins and one draw to achieve a PCT of 71.05. Two wins would keep India in contention, though they would then depend on favorable outcomes from other teams.
With only 20 Tests remaining in the current WTC cycle, five teams remain in contention for a spot in the final, setting fans up for a thrilling race to the finish.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
