South Africa’s victory over Australia in their recent Test series has made the World Test Championship (WTC) qualification race more competitive, offering India a potential route to the final despite remaining fourth in the standings. India still face a challenging path, but favourable results in their upcoming series against New Zealand and Australia could bring Shubman Gill’s side back into contention.
Gill acknowledged the impact of the Australia-South Africa series, saying the result had made the WTC table more balanced. Speaking ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland, the India captain said the two upcoming Tests against the Black Caps had gained added importance.
India currently sit fourth with 51.22 percentage points, behind New Zealand (72.22), South Africa (71.43) and Australia (69.33). Australia had previously occupied the top position before losing to South Africa, while New Zealand lead the standings.
India’s immediate challenge will be a two-Test series against New Zealand. Winning both matches would take India’s points percentage to 58.97, keeping their qualification hopes alive. However, a defeat would bring it down to 43.59 and leave the team with a much steeper climb.
The task will be difficult, particularly given India’s recent struggles against New Zealand. The Black Caps last lost a Test series in India in 2009, making the upcoming contest a significant challenge for Gill’s team.
The schedule after that could also influence the race. New Zealand are set to tour Australia for a four-Test series later this year. The Kiwis have not won a Test series in Australia since 1986, and another difficult campaign Down Under could affect their position in the standings. Any points dropped by Australia would also work in India’s favour.
South Africa, meanwhile, have their own demanding fixtures ahead. Bangladesh are next on their schedule, followed by a three-Test series against England, giving the defending champions further opportunities to strengthen their position.
Gill also explained that India’s packed schedule had influenced team selection for the ongoing ODI series. He said he would have preferred the ODIs to take place before the T20Is, allowing India to field their strongest squad without having to rest players ahead of the Tests. The short gap between the ODI series and the Test matches made that difficult.
With the Australia-South Africa result reopening the qualification race, India’s performances against New Zealand and Australia co
uld prove decisive in determining whether they reach another WTC final.
