After missing two consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) finals, New Zealand started their campaign with a 2-0 series win at home against West Indies. The authoritative 323-run win in the third Test helped New Zealand occupy the second spot on the WTC 2025-27 points table, leaving behind the defending champions South Africa.
New Zealand are yet to lose a Test in the current cycle. They played a draw against the Caribbean side in the series opener. The Kiwi team's win percentage is slightly above Temba Bavuma-led Proteas.
Here is how the WTC points table looks after New Zealand's series win -
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 100.00 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 77.78 |
| 3 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 75.00 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 50.00 |
| 6 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 7 | England | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 27.08 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 16.67 |
| 9 | West Indies | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4.17 |
No more changes in 2025
The WTC 2025-27 points table will not feature any more changes in 2025. There is just one Test left in the calendar year. Australia will play England in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Irrespective of the result, Australia will stay at the top whereas England will stay in the seventh position.
So far, West Indies and Bangladesh are the two sides who are yet to register a Test win. It will be safe to say that West Indies are all but out of the WTC final race again, having lost their seventh Test in the cycle.
New Zealand’s WTC schedule going ahead
New Zealand will not play a single WTC Test till June 2026. They will face England who failed to regain the Ashes. New Zealand will tour England for a three-Test series in June 2026. Then, they will tour India in October 2026 for two Tests. They will end the year 2026 with a three-Test series on Australian soil. In January 2027, they will host Sri Lanka for two-Test series before heading to Pakistan for two Tests.