How Can India Qualify for WTC 2025–27 Final After Sri Lanka Draw?
The road to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 25-27 final has become tougher for India despite Shubman Gill’s men winning the two match Test series against Sri Lanka by 1-0. The draw in the second Test in Colombo has left them with very little room for mistakes in the rest of the WTC cycle.
On Day 5 of the second Test in Colombo, Sri Lanka produced a strong fightback after being forced to follow on and managed to save the match. The hosts resumed at 229/6 with a lead of just 16 runs. However, Sonal Dinsuha and the lower order batters frustrated the Indian bowlers on a slow pitch, and at the end the match declared as draw as Sri Lanka were 429-9 and had a lead of 216 runs.
India therefore had to settle for a 1-0 series win instead of completing a 2-0 sweep. The result meant that they now cannot afford any more setbacks in the remaining WTC 2025-27 cycle, as every Test will be important in the race to qualify for the final.
India Currently Fifth in WTC 25-27 Standings
With this result, India are in fifth place in the WTC 25-27 standings with a points percentage (PCT) of 51.52.
Australia remain at the top with an 80.00 PCT, while South Africa sit second with 75.00. New Zealand occupy third place with a 72.22 PCT, and Bangladesh are placed fourth with 55.56. Sri Lanka sit in sixth place with a PCT of 33.33.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AUS | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 96 | 80.00% |
| 2 | SA | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 75.00% |
| 3 | NZ | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 72.22% |
| 4 | BAN | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 55.56% |
| 5 | IND | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 68 | 51.52% |
| 6 | SL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 33.33% |
| 7 | ENG | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 50 | 29.76% |
| 8 | WI | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 30 | 20.83% |
| 9 | PAK | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 19.05% |
India’s Chances of Reaching the WTC 25-27 Final
After missing the final in the previous WTC cycle, India will be looking to finish among the top two teams and return to the summit clash.
They still have seven Tests left in the current WTC cycle. The team will first travel to New Zealand for a two match Test series in October 2026. India will then finish the cycle with a five match home Test series against Australia in January 2027. These two series will be crucial for them in the qualification race.
India qualification scenarios
Win all seven Tests: Will finish with a 70.37% PCT and have a strong chance of reaching the final.
Win six of the seven Tests: Will finish with around 64.8% PCT, but will still depend on other teams’ results.
Lose both Tests in New Zealand and win all five against Australia: Will finish on 59.26% PCT, leaving their qualification hopes heavily dependent on results involving other contenders.
South Africa, New Zealand and Australia are also in contention for the final. These teams will face each other during the cycle, meaning some points will be taken away from India’s rivals. As a result, there is no fixed PCT that can guarantee India a place in the final at this stage.
The five match series against Australia will be particularly important. Every Test win will improve India position while also denying Australia valuable points in the qualification race.
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