How India Can Still Reach the WTC Final After a Brutal Whitewash?
The turmoil of the Indian team continues in the Test format, as the team has lost yet another series at home. This has pushed India down to 5th position in the World Test Championship standings. Still, there are chances for the team to make it to the World Test Championship final.
The turmoil of the Indian team continues in the Test format, as the team has lost yet another series at home. This has pushed India down to 5th position in the World Test Championship standings. Still, there are chances for the team to make it to the World Test Championship final.
India has received the worst of all starts in the new World Test Championship cycle. The team which once made it to two consecutive finals, now finds itself out of the top four. Over the past few series, it also seems that India has lost its dominance in the Test format, as they have also in the Test rankings.
And things are not improving for the team, as they have lost another home series. This time, India suffered a major series loss against South Africa by 0-2, as the visitors were able to do a whitewash in India. It all now raises questions whether India will be able to make it to the finals of the World Test Championship rankings or not.
1. Current WTC Standings
The match between India and South Africa has changed the World Test Championship standings to a great extent. India has been dropped to the 5th position in the WTC Standings, following the whitewash which has been done to them by South Africa. This has also in the tournament to less than 50.
India has played the most Test matches in the current cycle, and half of their cycle has also been completed. This also means that the remaining 9 Tests which India will play will be till the finals scheduled in June 2027. In those 9 games, India has won 4 games and lost 4, which puts their at 48.15.
Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka stand above India in the World Test Championship rankings. Pakistan has their winning percentage at 50, which puts them at 4th position. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has their winning percentage at 66.67, which puts them 3rd in the table. This series win against India has also pushed South Africa to 2nd in the standings with their at 75.
The finalists of the previous edition, Australia and South Africa still hold the top two spots in the standings. Now, it is challenging for India to regain their momentum in such challenging conditions, and decide how they will be able to make it to the finals of the tournament.
2. How Can India Reach the Finals?
The question remains on how India will be able to reach the finals of the tournament. And it has a simple answer, India needs to ensure that they win as many games as possible in its last 9 games in the World Test Championship cycle. At the same time, it should also be noted that the at any cost, whether it is a home game or an away game.
With 9 games remaining for the Indian team, they should get at least 7 wins in these games. This will help India to get their winning percentage above 60, and it might guarantee them a spot in the WTC final. Over the last three editions of the tournament, the teams having their winning percentage close to or above 60 have made it to the finals with ease.
If India is able to win 7 of its next 9 Test matches in this cycle, their winning percentage will stand at 62.96, which could help them to be qualified. And if the team wants a guaranteed spot in the finals, they would have to win at least 8 of their next 9 Test matches in the current cycle. Winning 8 of their last 9 would help India to get its winning percentage at 68.52, and this could also help them to finish
India will not be playing even a single home game in 2026, related to the World Test Championship cycle. The team has three Test series remaining, two of which will be away in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. India will face both teams in a two-match series each, and will face Australia at home in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027.
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