After suffering a 113-run embarrassing loss in the second Test of the three-match series against New Zealand in Pune, Team India's chances of making it into the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the third consecutive time have taken a further dent. Mitchell Santner took 13 wickets across two innings in the Pune Test match to hand New Zealand their first-ever series victory against India. They now have an unbeatable lead of 2-0.
India's WTC Final hopes in jeopardy
Fans are growing increasingly concerned about India's ability to reach the WTC final for the third consecutive time. Despite currently leading the WTC points table, the loss in Pune has not taken India off the top spot but drastically affected India's position on the standings. South Africa's prospects of making it to the final would greatly increase if India falters. With series against Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka coming up, South Africa's formidable squad is ready to overcome these obstacles and put up a serious fight for the WTC championship.
How can India make it to WTC final after loss in Pune Test?
India must make sure they do not lose a single test if they want to guarantee their final position at the WTC in 2023–2025. To get the desired slot, they will also need to scrape together two draws.
Team India will play Australia in a demanding five-Test series on Australian soil following the series against New Zealand. Given the difficult conditions and the strength of the Australian opposition, it is generally expected that the Indian team will face a formidable challenge in this series.
India had a definite objective to win all three games prior to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under before the New Zealand series started. It was intended to be the third consecutive World Test Championship final, but the events in Bengaluru and Pune have left everyone with more questions than answers.
