India Team (Source – BCCI)
India suffered an eight-wicket defeat versus New Zealand in the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last week. However, the Rohit Sharma-led side continues to be at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.
The two-time WTC finalists have 68.06% points in the 2023-2025 cycle. Meanwhile, New Zealand moved up two places to No. 4 with 44.44%. As the top two teams at the end of the cycle will make it to the finals, Indian fans are curious to know what their favorite team needs to do to qualify.
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India needs five wins from the remaining seven matches to secure a spot in the WTC final. The Asian giants are set to play two more Tests against New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai before embarking on a five-match Test tour of Australia in November. It is important to note that defending champions Australia are placed at No. 2 with 62.50% points.
WTC 2023-25 POINTS TABLE
| Pos. | Team | Mat. | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PTC |
| 1 | India | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 98 | 68.06 |
| 2 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 90 | 62.50 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 60 | 55.56 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 44.44 |
| 5 | England | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 93 | 43.06 |
| 6 | South Africa | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 38.89 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 34.38 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 25.93 |
| 8 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 18.52 |
India looks for a turnaround in Pune
India came into the series against New Zealand after completing a clean sweep over Bangladesh in a two-match Test series earlier this month. The Kiwis, on the other hand, suffered a 0-2 whitewash against Sri Lanka in the lead-up to the India tour. While India came into the contest as the favorites, New Zealand looked upbeat under new captain Tom Latham and took an important 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The second Test takes place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Thursday, October 24. According to reports, the pitch is expected to be favorable for spinners and this would invariably give India the edge as they seek redemption.