India vs New Zealand (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s World Test Championship (WTC) journey has suffered a sudden setback after a historic home defeat against New Zealand.
After falling short in Pune, India suffered their first home Test series defeat since 2012, casting doubt on their hopes of final qualification for the 2023-2025 WTC.
In the second Test, India stumbled to 245 all out in the second innings and lost to the Kiwis by 113 runs.
Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant 77 off 65 balls, the Indian team faltered under the relentless pressure of Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in two innings in the second Test.
A promising 62-run stand between Jaiswal and Shubman Gill gave India hope, but they were thwarted by New Zealand’s disciplined bowling and conceded the series.
India’s position in the WTC rankings has now shifted.
Before the second game, Rohit Sharma’s team was leading the table with a percentage (PCT) of 68.06. However, two consecutive losses to New Zealand saw their PCT drop to 62.82, narrowing their path to the final.
Australia is close behind at 62.50, followed by Sri Lanka at 55.56.

What India needs to do to achieve this WTC final
To stay on track for the WTC final at Lord’s next summer, India will need to perform impeccably in the remaining matches.
The team has one more game against New Zealand before traveling to Australia for the deciding five games Border Gavaskar Trophy. If they win at least four of these six remaining games, they have a good chance of securing a place in the final.
However, if India fail, they will have to rely on positive results from other series.
The upcoming clashes between Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa will have a major impact on India’s prospects. In particular, Sri Lanka’s matches against Australia and South Africa could make or break India’s hopes.
Although the road ahead is steep, India remains in the hunt. A win against Australia will be crucial if they want to reach their third consecutive WTC final. The team now faces the challenge of getting back into shape under pressure and maintaining consistency.