India has witnessed its first-ever home series whitewash in a three-match Test series, suffering a 25-run defeat in the third Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. Last week in Pune, New Zealand became only the third team, after Australia in 2004 and England in 2012—to win a Test series on Indian soil since January 1, 2001.
Australia On The Top Spot
The loss against New Zealand has sent India to the second spot in the WTC charts with a percentage of points slipping to 58.33 behind reigning champions Australia who are enjoying 62.5 now. Rohit Sharma will have to make sure that this team doesn’t lose all the remaining five matches they have so that they at least stand a chance at the WTC final. If India wins all five matches in Australia, they can obtain up to 158 points, with a PCT of 69.29.
WTC Points Table
| Pos | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | NR | Points | PCT |
| 1 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 62.500 |
| 2 | India | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 98 | 58.330 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 55.560 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 54.550 |
| 5 | South Africa | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 54.170 |
| 6 | England | 19 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 93 | 40.790 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 33.330 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 27.500 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 18.520 |
How Can India Qualify For WTC Final?
India’s next assignment is five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia where Rohit Sharma’s team has to win at least four games to confirm their qualification for the WTC Final without relying on external results.
If they do not win, India will have to rely on good results from other series, mainly those against competing teams. For instance, Sri Lanka is playing against both Australia and South Africa in this WTC cycle, and the result of those matches will go a long way in determining if India can make it to their third successive WTC final.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Full Schedule
First Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, Perth
Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne
Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney
Prior to the series against New Zealand, India appeared well-positioned to qualify for the WTC final set to take place at Lord’s next summer. However, the recent defeat to the Kiwis has cast doubt on their chances of reaching the final.
