New Delhi: New Zealand did the unthinkable on Sunday. Defeated India by 25 runs in a low-scoring chase at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to rout the hosts with a 3-0 whitewash, becoming the visiting team to win all the Test matches in India in a three-match Test series.
The defeats in Pune and Bengaluru did dent the Indian team’s spirit, but the one in Mumbai did raise eyebrows of the former No.1 Test side to perform in challenging situations and favourable conditions. The New Zealand sweep has jolted Rohit Sharma and his men’s chances to make the cut for the World Test Championship 2023-25 final.
Updated WTC standings
India have been dropped to the second place after three shocking defeats in home. The Asian giants have won eight matches, lost five and drew one to accumulate 98 points with a win percentage of 58.33. Australia have moved to first place with a win percentage of 62.50.
New Zealand have made giant strides following their valiant performance in the challenging conditions in the sub-continent. They have moved to fourth place from sixth with 54.55 win percentage.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | DED | Points | Win % |
| 1 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 90 | 62.5 |
| 2 | India | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 98 | 58.33 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 55.56 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 54.55 |
| 5 | South Africa | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 54.17 |
| 6 | England | 19 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 93 | 40.79 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 33.33 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 27.5 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 18.52 |
How can India still qualify for WTC final after NZ drubbing?
India are under tremendous pressure to reach the World Test Championship final. They will next face Australia in the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under from November 22 to January 7. For the first time, the two rivals will be involved in a five-Test series rather than the four matches played till now.
India have to win retain the BGT series by a heavy margin of 5-0, 4-0 or 4-1. In case they win three matches they will finish with a win percentage over 60 and then they will have to depend on the results of other bilateral series.
New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and South Africa are also in contention for the final spot. New Zealand will face England in a three-match Test series at home from November 28 to December 18. Sri Lanka will travel to South Africa to South Africa to play two Test matches in the same period.
South Africa will later host Pakistan for two more Test matches between December 26 to January 7. Sri Lanka and Australia will play the last Test series of this cycle in January-February period in the island nations, and those two Test matches will probably decide the final scenario of the WTC standings.
