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While New Zealand are looking at a historic maiden Test series win in India, a second consecutive loss in the series would lower India’s PCT to 62.82.
India’s unbeaten streak in the home Test series is under serious threat following their horrendous batting collapse in Pune. The hosts are already 0-1 down, and a series loss will put their World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification in jeopardy.
After stumbling to 156 all out, India have conceded a lead of more than 300 runs to New Zealand in the second Test at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Tom Latham led New Zealand’s charge with the bat after Mitchell Santner’s brilliant 7/53 destroyed India. His knock consolidated a handy 103-run first-innings lead that the Kiwis had grabbed before reaching 198/5 at stumps.
While New Zealand are looking at a historic maiden Test series win in India, a second consecutive loss in the series would lower India’s PCT to 62.82.
With one match left in this series before heading to Australia for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit Sharma’s team will need to secure at least four wins from their remaining six matches to ensure a spot in the WTC Final without depending on other teams’ performances.
If India falls short, they will need favourable outcomes in other series, particularly those featuring rival contenders. Sri Lanka, for instance, will face both Australia and South Africa in this WTC cycle, and those results could significantly influence India’s chances of reaching a third straight WTC final.
Entering the series against New Zealand, India was in a commanding position to qualify, but a demoralising defeat in Bengaluru and the looming threat of another loss in Pune have tightened the competition. These recent results make India’s journey to the WTC final considerably more challenging.
While India currently leads the WTC standings, their top spot is under threat, and securing a place in the final may soon require winning a high percentage of upcoming games. If they fail, India might have to rely on favourable outcomes in other series to advance, underscoring the importance of each game as they strive to keep their WTC hopes alive.