WTC points table: Do India still have a path to the final?
India face a steep task to reach the World Test Championship final as they head to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series in August, according to a report published on 2026-08-11. The Shubman Gill-led side sit fifth on the WTC table and must overhaul a thin points position to remain in contention.
India return to the World Test Championship fold for the first time since their 2025 defeat to South Africa, a match the report describes as a debacle in which they were run over by Temba Bavuma's world champions. Since the middle of 2024 India have recorded only one Test-series victory in WTC action, that win coming against the West Indies.
The report records India’s recent results as four wins, four losses and one draw from nine Tests, and places the team fifth with 48.15 percentage points. It notes losses to New Zealand and South Africa at home, an away defeat to Australia, and a drawn series in England concluded by a dramatic final-day turnaround.
Only the series against England and South Africa are relevant to the current WTC cycle, the report states, while the defeats to New Zealand and Australia belonged to the 2023-2025 calendar. India have nine Tests remaining in this cycle: two against Sri Lanka in August, two versus New Zealand in November and five against Australia at home in January and February 2027.
To climb above 60 percentage points India must win at least seven of those nine remaining matches, the analysis says. The margin for error is narrow given the strength of the teams ahead of them on the table.
Australia, South Africa and New Zealand lead the WTC standings, each holding more than 70 percentage points, according to the report. Australia — described as the 2023 champions and 2025 finalists — have played eight Tests and won seven so far and still have 14 further matches scheduled, with Bangladesh and New Zealand at home and South Africa and India away; South Africa have a full season at home against Australia, Bangladesh and England and only travel to Sri Lanka.
The report raises concern about India’s recent form both at home and abroad and flags spin as a continuing challenge for the team. While it has been some time since India last lost a series in Sri Lanka, the piece says the side’s recent record against spin means they will need an exceptional performance to claim both Tests on the island.
India begin the stretch with the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August, and the report concludes that they will require not only a near-perfect run in their remaining fixtures but also favourable results elsewhere if they are to reach the WTC final this season.
