India’s journey ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 and then the final took a serious hit 0-3 Test series defeat against New Zealand. The defeat dented India’s hopes and made the qualifying scenario more difficult as they required a strong comeback in their remaining matches to secure a place in the finals.
The streak ends India’s winning streak at home
In the third and final Test of the series, India trailed by 25 runs and secured a clean sweep. New Zealand outscored the visitors in all three matches. The whitewash marks a rare setback for India, who entered the series as one of the top contenders in the WTC rankings. With the defeat, India have now dropped from the top position to second place with a score of 58.33 points and are on a tough course to qualify for the WTC finals on June 11, 2025 at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
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Upcoming Australia series: Must win for India
India’s next and most critical challenge will be the five-match Test series Australiaon Australian soil starting November 22. To strengthen their chances of reaching the final, India need to win the series convincingly – ideally by 4-1 or even 5-0, though both scenarios look daunting. Australia currently top the WTC standings and will have the advantage of playing at home, making India’s task even more difficult. A comprehensive win would propel India back into strong contention, but even a two-win performance could keep their hopes alive, albeit with external factors.
Dependence on the performances of other teams
India may have to rely on the results of the other WTC matches, especially the third-placed ones, if they are to fight to secure a back-to-back win over Australia. Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka have four Test matches left, two against them South Africa in November and two against Australia in January 2025. Sri Lanka need to lose at least two of these matches to improve India’s qualification prospects. A strong performance by Sri Lanka in these competitions could jeopardize India’s chances, highlighting the interdependence of results as the WTC race intensifies.
With Sri Lanka trailing in the WTC standings, India’s qualification for the WTC finals may depend significantly on the results of the Sri Lankan team. India’s chances of qualifying will improve if Sri Lanka lose a couple of matches in the upcoming matches, but any strong performance from Sri Lanka will reduce India’s margin of error. As the WTC era draws to a close, India will be watching these games closely and hoping for results that favor their qualifying bid.
