WTC standings: India drop to second spot after NZ upset
New Zealand created history by beating India 3-0 in a home Test series. This is the first time India have been whitewashed at home in a series of more than two Tests. The final match witnessed New Zealand beating India by 25 runs on the third afternoon of the Mumbai Test. They achieved this despite defending a modest total of just 146 runs. Here are the ICC World Test Championship standings after India's defeat.
India's WTC standing affected by series loss
Following the series defeat, India's standing in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings has also taken a hit. Before the series, India were sitting atop the table but have now dropped to the second spot. Their points percentage (PCT) has plummeted from 62.82 to 58.33, falling behind Australia who now leads with a PCT of 62.5. India now have eight wins and five losses in this cycle (1 draw).
New Zealand climb after series win
New Zealand's historic victory has also propelled them to a significant rise in WTC standings. They have jumped from fifth to fourth place, with their PCT rising from 50 to 54.54. They own six wins and five defeats. This puts them marginally above South Africa's 54.17 and just below Sri Lanka's 55.56, making for a tightly contested middle section of the table.
India's path to WTC final now challenging
The series loss has made India's road to the WTC final extremely difficult. With five Tests left against Australia, Rohit Sharma and his men cannot afford another defeat if they want to qualify for the final without relying on other results. To keep their PCT above 60, India will have to win at least two matches and draw four games.
A look at other sides
Sri Lanka, occupy the third spot on the WTC table. They have a points percentage of 55.56. Pakistan, who recently beat England 2-1 at home, are currently at the seventh place as their PCT reads 33.33. England (40.79) hold the sixth place. While South Africa (54.17) are at fifth, Bangladesh (27.50) and West Indies (18.52) occupy the last two places.
WTC: A look at points system
As has been the case, the ICC WTC standings are determined by the percentage of points earned. There are 12 points available for each win in the WTC. Four points are awarded to each team for a draw, with the teams earning six for a tie. A loss leads to no point deduction, while teams can lose points because of slow over-rates.
