India’s ironclad home record just took a massive hit! After 12 years of dominance, they crashed to a series defeat on their own turf, with Mitchell Santner leading the charge and making India’s batting look shaky against quality spin. The 113-run loss in the second Test didn’t just end the series—it also dented India’s position at the top of the World Test Championship standings.
For New Zealand, it was a historic win. They’ve been touring India since 1955, but it’s taken almost 70 years for the Kiwis to finally conquer the Indian fortress.
India, once known for rock-solid batting, saw their lineup unravel over and over again, starting with a brutal 46 all-out in Bengaluru and ending in a series loss they’ll want to forget fast.
Test Cricket's Longes Unbeaten Streak Ends
New Zealand snapped India’s 18-series home-winning streak, making this only India’s fourth Test series defeat at home in this century.
India’s defeat to New Zealand in this series has indeed made their path to the World Test Championship (WTC) final challenging.
It ain't the pitch, its Mitch ♂️#INDvNZ #IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy #TeamIndia #Santner #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/3KUKUszQfM
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) October 26, 2024
Here's the breakdown of what India needs to do to qualify:
Win Percentage Points
After the loss to New Zealand, India’s win percentage stands at 62.82, just slightly ahead of Australia’s 62.50. To stay in the top two and ensure qualification, they must aim to keep their win percentage points above Australia, who are expected to win their upcoming matches as well.
Upcoming Tests
India has six Tests remaining before the WTC final. To secure their spot, they’ll need to win at least four of these matches to maintain a strong standing. However, out of these six matches, five will be on Australia’s home soil, making the challenge even tougher. Australia is known for its dominant home advantage, which will test India significantly, especially in the fast-bowling-friendly conditions there.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
This upcoming series against Australia will be critical. If India can win at least three of the four Test matches in Australia, their WTC percentage will likely see a significant boost. Any drawn matches in this series would also be beneficial, as it would lower the number of games Australia wins, giving India an advantage in the win-loss ratio.