Recent developments have seen India fall three places to sixth in the World Test Championship (WTC) points standings following a 28-run defeat to England in the first match of the series in Hyderabad. With their points percentage dropping from 54.16 to 43.33, the two-time WTC finalists—who had previously finished second behind Australia—now find themselves below South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
After winning easily in Cape Town against South Africa to force a 1-1 series draw earlier this month, India momentarily occupied the top spot. Their time at the top was, however, fleeting as Australia stormed to the top of the table with a series sweep of Pakistan.
India has managed two victories and one tie in five Test matches during the current 2023–25 World Tour cycle, however they have lost to South Africa and England. The recent defeat against England proved costly in the rankings, causing a decline in position.
It’s interesting to note that England dropped in the rankings even though they defeated India.
Conversely, West Indies made a huge jump, moving up to seventh place with a strong increase in their points percentage after their thrilling victory over Australia at the Gabba.
The WTC standings are still in flux as teams contend with intense competition for supremacy. Cricket fans can expect a thrilling and unexpected ride as the competition progresses, with every match having a significant impact on the clubs’ final standings.
Beginning on Friday, February 2, the Indian team will play the second test of the current five-match series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. India will be motivated to win after suffering a devastating loss in the first game. England, meanwhile, will be keen to carry on the momentum they built in the first game and their recent strong run of play in the series. It would now be intriguing to watch the types of pitches that India will give in the next series matches.
India
