India's once-promising path to the World Test Championship (WTC) final is now fraught with uncertainty following recent struggles against New Zealand.
Despite consistently reaching the WTC final in the past two cycles, where they faced New Zealand and Australia but fell short, India's chances for a third consecutive appearance are now at risk.
After a dominant 2-0 win over Bangladesh, India's WTC campaign hit a major roadblock in the first Test against New Zealand.
With their prospects shaken after a tough first Test, the ongoing second Test in Pune has only amplified concerns. Though India restricted New Zealand to 259, their batting woes continued as Mitchell Santner's seven wicket haul led to India collapsing for just 156 runs. Now, only a remarkable comeback can salvage their standing.
Currently, India tops the WTC standings with a Points Percentage (PCT) of 68.060 and 98 points, closely followed by Australia, who have a PCT of 62.50 and 90 points.
If India loses in Pune, their PCT could drop below the critical 60% mark, which might allow other teams like South Africa and Sri Lanka to challenge for the finals.
South Africa, currently in fourth place with a PCT of 47.620, has an upcoming series against Bangladesh, followed by home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, providing them an opportunity to surge in the standings.
The road to the WTC final is still open for India, but their margin for error has narrowed.
Winning three of their remaining six games could keep them in contention, especially if they perform well in the coming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia.
India's resilience and record in recent overseas matches give hope, but they will need a remarkable turnaround to make their WTC final hopes a reality.
