The last time India played against Pakistan in a Test match, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble were still playing for India, MS Dhoni had not yet led India in a Test match, and the movies ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Jab We Met’ were showing in cinemas. This was back in December 2007. Since then, the two countries have not played against each other in a series, so we haven’t seen such a match for almost 17 years. However, the next chance might come in 2025.
Fans might get to see India and Pakistan play a Test match again in a possible World Test Championship Final at the end of the 2023-25 cycle, which would be held at the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground.
India has made it to both World Test Championship finals that have taken place so far, and they are expected to reach the final match again. India is currently leading in the WTC 2023-25 standings with 68.52% of points won. Australia is in second place with 62.50%.
India will face challenging away Test series against New Zealand and Australia towards the end of 2024, making their journey to the final not easy. However, with Gautam Gambhir now as the head coach, India is anticipated to continue their winning streak.
Pakistan has a tough challenge ahead if they aim to reach the final. They are currently in fifth place in the World Test Championship 2023-25 standings, with a win percentage of 36.66, after playing only five Test matches so far. This year, Pakistan will play at home against Bangladesh and England, and finish the year with a single Test match in South Africa.
If Pakistan manages to secure a top-two spot, alongside India, then a final match in the World Test Championship between these two countries could happen. Since India has lost both of their previous WTC finals, winning their first title by beating their main rivals, Pakistan, would be the most satisfying victory for the team.
