India's journey to the World Test Championship final 2025 is filled with both opportunities and challenges. With 10 Test matches to play in this WTC cycle, the team started strong with a win in the Chennai Test against Bangladesh.
However, due to the rain and poor outfield in Kanpur, India and Bangladesh lost two and a half days of cricket which risked a draw but on Day 4, India came in with a mindset of getting a result and battled against the time with fantastic approach with both bat and ball to clinch the series 2-0. With that, India now has 8 remaining matches to secure their spot in the final.
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The task ahead is not simple, especially after South Africa's win against Bangladesh in Mirpur. The two spots in the final now have 3 real contenders.
The team has been runners-up twice, losing the previous finals to New Zealand and Australia. This time, India is focused on winning and ending the WTC campaign on a high note.
How can India reach the WTC final 2025?
India needs to carefully manage their remaining matches to qualify for the WTC Final 2025. After winning the series against Bangladesh 2-0, from here on, India would require at least 5 wins in their last 6 matches.
After the series victory against Bangladesh, India are currently trailing 0-2 with one match left in the home series against New Zealand after suffering defeats at Bengaluru and Pune. This has come as a huge setback for the home team.
Another real challenge lies in their upcoming 5-match Test series against Australia in Australia but even before that, South Africa's win in the first Test against Bangladesh has spiced up the race to the final.
The Proteas will be facing Bangladesh in another Test before hosting Sri Lanka (2 Tests) and Pakistan (2 Tests) at home, which will be relatively easier and could potentially take them to 69.44 PCT and they could surpass India
The best India can do now is to win the third Test match against New Zealand and take the 12 WTC points as they have already lost the series. They will then need to win atleast 4 Tests in Australia to boost their chances and keep themselves above South Africa in the standings, to reach their third consecutive final.
The road to the final has essentially become a three-horse race between India, Australia and South Africa.
MORE: IND vs NZ Test series: How many WTC points are on the line?
Latest updated World Test Championship points table
| Pos. | Team | M | W | L | D | Pts. | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 98 | 62.80 |
| 2 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 90 | 62.50 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 60 | 55.56 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 60 | 50.00 |
| 5 | South Africa | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 47.62 |
| 6 | England | 19 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 93 | 40.78 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 33.33 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 30.56 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 18.52 |
India's upcoming matches in the World Test Championship
After the Bangladesh series, India is facing the New Zealand team for a three-match series. A strong performance here will make the road ahead easier.
New Zealand recently lost 2-0 to Sri Lanka, and India was expected to dominate at home. However, loss in the first Test followed by South Africa's win in Mirpur have changed the dynamics to reach the final a little with a tougher challenge upcoming when India faces Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
| Series | Home/Away |
|---|---|
| 3 Matches vs New Zealand | Home (India) |
| 5 matches vs Australia | Away (Australia) |
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India’s path to the WTC final 2025 requires consistent victories, especially in the high-stakes series against Australia. If India can navigate these series successfully, they are set to reach their third consecutive WTC final.
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