Australia's Win Shakes Up WTC Standings: Where Does India Sit?

Saturday - 12/07/2025 03:20

The new World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle has commenced with Australia and England leading with a perfect PCT of 100. Sri Lanka follows after their series against Bangladesh. India, despite Shubman Gill's team's impressive fight and five centurions, suffered a loss to England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to a middle-order collapse.

World Test Championship 2025-27: Analyzing India's Position After Australia's Victory

The new World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle has commenced with a flurry of activity, as three Test series have already begun to mold the nascent standings. While Australia and England have made strong initial impressions, India and the West Indies are under pressure to recover lost ground.

Cummins leads Australia after their win against West Indies

Australia's captain Pat Cummins leads this team off the pitch after defeating West Indies (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Australia and England currently hold the top two positions in the WTC table, both achieving a perfect points percentage of 100 after securing victories in their opening matches. Sri Lanka is positioned third after concluding their two-match series against Bangladesh with a win and a draw. Bangladesh, with a draw and a loss, finds itself in fourth place.

Team India’s Intense Nets at Edgbaston| Prep for 2nd Test vs England

Meanwhile, several prominent teams, including the reigning champions South Africa, New Zealand, and Pakistan, are yet to commence their WTC campaigns in this cycle.

India's initial match did not unfold according to their plans, in spite of demonstrating resilience at Headingley. The team had five batsmen score centuries, but ultimately suffered a defeat as England executed a dramatic chase to secure a 1-0 lead in the five-Test Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Facing a target of 371, England capitalized on a dominant opening partnership between Ben Duckett (149) and Zak Crawley. Joe Root and debutant Jamie Smith then steered the chase to a successful conclusion with an unbroken partnership. India was left lamenting a collapse in the middle order and dropped catches that ultimately proved detrimental.

Following the match, Gill acknowledged that India had opportunities but failed to capitalize on them. He mentioned that India had aimed for a more substantial lead, but a lack of runs from the lower order hindered their aspirations.

India is now directing its attention toward the second Test at Edgbaston, with the goal of staging a swift comeback and sustaining its WTC campaign. Currently, the team is positioned near the bottom of the table, alongside the West Indies.

The current WTC cycle began with Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh on June 17 and is scheduled to run until the final in 2027.