TL;DR
- India has started the new World Test Championship cycle with victories against England and West Indies.
- Despite a strong start, India currently sits fourth in the World Test Championship standings.
- India aims to rebound against South Africa after a loss in their recent home Test.
- The Men in Blue face challenging tours to England, New Zealand, and Australia in the WTC cycle.
After South Africa's WTC title win earlier this year, the new cycle of the World Test Championship is underway as the teams fight to claim the ultimate glory.
India's campaign began respectably, securing two victories and a draw during their English tour. Despite being a highly dominant red-ball team, India has yet to claim a WTC title.
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Maintaining their strong performance, they defeated the West Indies 2-0 in the two-match home Test series. However, the team struggled against the reigning champions, South Africa, in the initial home Test, succumbing by 31 runs in a closely contested, low-scoring match.
With India aiming to rebound and secure a victory in the second Test versus South Africa, we examine the World Test Championship 2027 Final Qualification outlook for The Men in Blue.
Current World Test Championship Standings
India currently sits in fourth position at the World Test Championship points table.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws | N/R | Points (PT) | Percentage (PCT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 100.00 |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 3 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 66.66 |
| 4 | India | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 54.16 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 50.00 |
| 6 | England | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 43.33 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16.67 |
| 8 | West Indies | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 9 | New Zealand | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
India's schedule and outcomes for The World Test Championship 2025-27
| Series | Date | Result |
| India tour of England (A) [5 Tests] | June 2025 | Draw 2-2 (5 matches) |
| West Indies tour of India (H) [2 Tests] | October 2025 | Won 2-0 (2 matches) |
| South Africa tour of India (H) [2 Tests] | November 2025 | SA 1-0 (1 game to go) |
| India tour of Sri Lanka (A) [2 Tests] | August 2026 | |
| India tour of New Zealand (A) [2 Test] | October 2026 | |
| India tour of Australia (A) [5 Tests] | December 2026 |
India's success in leveling the series in England marks a strong start to their World Test Championship cycle. The team's most significant hurdles in this cycle were the England tour and the forthcoming trips to New Zealand and Australia, scheduled for late 2026.
After a very solid display in England, the side was high on confidence for the four Tests at home. India missed out on a final spot last time around as South Africa and Australia made it to the championship game with a Point percentage of 69.44 and 63.73
After their defeat against South Africa in Kolkata, the side will now be keen on registering a win in their last home Test of the season in Guwahati.
Matches remaining for India: 10 Tests