After visiting Sri Lanka and experiencing a mix of enjoyable and challenging moments, Team India will take a short break before starting their home season with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh. The first Test begins on September 19 and also marks the start of India’s remaining 10 matches in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, as they aim to reach the final for the third time in a row.
According to the latest rankings, India is at the top with six wins out of nine matches. They lost two matches and one ended in a draw. They currently have 74 points and are leading the table with a 68.52 point percentage.
The current title holders, Australia, are in second place with a points percentage of 62.50. They have the highest number of points, which is 90, and they have won 8 games, which is the most of any team.
How can India make third final appearance in a row?
India has another opportunity to end up in first place and secure a spot in the 2025 World Test Championship Final. If they win five out of their remaining ten Test matches, they will qualify for the final. If they achieve these wins before traveling to Australia, they can afford to lose a game or two and still make it to the final.
If India manages to win their third consecutive series in Australia, the team led by Pat Cummins will need to win the following series, a two-match series against Sri Lanka.
What are the chances of Australia making it in the finals?
The current title holders must win at least four out of the next seven matches to achieve a win percentage of 63.16 or higher. If they lose 0-5, 0-4, or 1-4 to India in the upcoming Border–Gavaskar Trophy on their home ground, they will be eliminated from the competition with a highest possible win percentage of 57.9.
Can Newzealand, Srilanka or Pakistan make it in the finals?
New Zealand is currently in third place and needs to win at least five out of their remaining eight games to achieve a 57.14% win rate and qualify for the finals. They will play two matches against Sri Lanka, three against India, and three more against England in their home series. The Kiwis must win at least three of the five away matches against Sri Lanka and India to avoid a situation where they need to win all their home matches against England.
Sri Lanka is in fourth place and could reach an 84.62% win rate, which is the second-highest after India, if they win at least six of their remaining nine matches. They need to win three out of the five away matches against England and South Africa to secure a comfortable position. If they don’t win any matches in England, they will be in a must-win situation for the remaining six matches. If they manage to win the series against England, they will eliminate England from the competition.
Pakistan has 9 Test matches left – 7 at home and 2 away. To have a chance at reaching the final, they need to win 6 of these matches. A series victory against England at home would eliminate Ben Stokes and his team from the competition.
