TL;DR
- India faces a Test hiatus until June 2026, focusing on white-ball cricket and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
- South Africa dominated India 2-0 in their recent Test series, outplaying them significantly.
- India's next Test is a one-off against Afghanistan in June 2026, not counting for WTC.
- India's World Test Championship schedule includes series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Australia in 2026.
Team India will have some time to rethink their strategy in Tests as white-ball cricket takes priority for the next few months, with the 2026 T20 World Cup, which India is co-hosting with Sri Lanka, on the horizon.
South Africa secured a 2-0 series victory over India in Guwahati on Wednesday. Following a close 30-run loss in Kolkata, India was thoroughly outplayed by The Proteas in every aspect of the second Test.
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Although Tristan Stubbs and Senuran Muthusamy provided crucial late contributions, Marco Jansen's comprehensive performance with bat and ball, coupled with Simon Harmer's impressive nine-wicket haul, had India struggling significantly.
For India, there is no immediate redemption on offer.
India's subsequent Test engagement is slated for June 2026, following a period of extensive ODI and T20I fixtures, with Afghanistan as their opponent.
Because Afghanistan isn't a participant in the World Test Championship, the outcome of the single Test match won't impact India's position on the rankings.
India's subsequent Test match is scheduled for __PLH_date__.
India will play a one-off Test against Afghanistan in June 2026, but the match will not count towards the World Test Championship.
Their next WTC series begins in August 2026, when they travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series.
Following this, India is scheduled to visit New Zealand for a Test series in October. Subsequently, they will head back home to host Australia for a five-game Test series in December 2026.
India's schedule and outcomes for The World Test Championship 2025-27
Here's India's upcoming Test schedule in WTC:
| 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 | Lost 0-2 |
| India tour of Sri Lanka (A) [2 Tests] | August 2026 | TBD |
| India tour of New Zealand (A) [2 Test] | October 2026 | TBD |
| India tour of Australia (A) [5 Tests] | December 2026 | TBD |
Current World Test Championship Standings
India currently sits in fifth 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 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 50.00 |
| 5 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 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 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |