India currently sit fifth in the WTC points table, holding 52 points and a points percentage of 48.15%.
India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka is all set to kick-off on Saturday (August 15) in Galle. The series is extremely crucial for Shubman Gill’s men as they aim to go up in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings.
India currently sit fifth in the WTC points table, holding 52 points and a points percentage (PCT) of 48.15%. Having played exactly half of the 18 scheduled matches, their campaign has been a true mixed bag, consisting of four wins, four losses, and one draw.
India opened the cycle on a positive note, securing a hard-fought 2-2 draw during a grueling five-match series in England. They sustained momentum with a dominant 2-0 clean sweep over the West Indies at home, which temporarily propelled them into the top half of the standings.
However, the biggest setback came via a shocking 2-0 home series defeat against South Africa. A staggering 408-run defeat in the Guwahati Test severely dented India's qualification chances.
The race for the WTC final at The Oval is highly competitive, with India currently trailing behind Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
Ahead of the Sri Lanka series, legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has advised Team India to stay in the present and forget about the WTC final.
“I’m sure the dressing room will talk about WTC. But if I were there, my thinking would be—forget WTC, that’s too far away. Now, where are you? You lost a Test series in India. We haven’t had a great time as a Test team. Consider this series as a milestone series and perform well. One day at a time, one session at a time, one hour at a time, one over at a time, one ball at a time," Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Because in life, this is what’s important. We can talk about the past, we can learn from the past, we can dream about the future. But staying in the present is very difficult. Because today’s present is someone else’s past. So if you stay in the present, your chances of performing in the present are higher. Everyone should stay in the present—in that second, that minute, on the ground—to create good history. Only then do you become a part of history. If you can’t stay in the present, you can’t even dream about the future, and you can’t create history either," he added.
India must win at least seven of their remaining nine Tests to realistically secure a spot in the WTC final. After the Sri Lanka tour, they will travel to New Zealand for two Tests before playing Australia in a five-match series at home.