The Indian team faced a crushing 0-2 defeat in a home Test series against South Africa. This loss significantly hampered India's hopes of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 final. So far in the current WTC cycle, India has lost four Test matches and has dropped to fifth place in the standings.
India will play its next Test match in August 2026. In this cycle, the Indian team has nine Test matches remaining. To stay in the race for the finals, India needs to win at least seven out of these nine matches. In August, India will play two Test matches in Sri Lanka. Later, in October-November, the Indian team will travel to New Zealand for an equal number of matches. In January-February of 2027, the Indian team will host Australia for five Test matches, which will be the team's last series in the ongoing cycle.
Reaching the 2025-27 WTC final appears not only difficult but quite challenging for India. Winning against the teams they are set to face in this cycle won't be easy. Although India has won the last four Test series against Sri Lanka, playing on Sri Lankan soil is always a challenge.
Source: aajtak
Sri Lanka has played 46 Test matches against India, winning only 7, while India has won 22 encounters. Notably, all seven of Sri Lanka's victories came at home. Although India has secured a few series wins in Sri Lanka, the current form and team combination aren't as reassuring this time around.
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In New Zealand, India's Test record is anything but ideal. The last time India won a Test series in New Zealand was in 2009. Since then, India has struggled on Kiwi soil, playing 25 Tests, out of which they won 5, lost 10, and 10 matches ended in a draw.
At home, India will face a stern test against Australia. The 5-match Test series under the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be crucial for India's future in the WTC 2025-27. The Australian team hasn't won a Test series in India since 2004. However, the last two series they played here were closely contested.
In India, the last two series against Australia ended in India's favor with a 2-1 margin each time. Given India's current performance at home, this upcoming series will not be easy either. Noting how New Zealand and South Africa won Test series in India, the Australian team is already looking forward to this series.
The Indian team has played 54 Test matches against Australia at home, winning 23, losing 14, with 16 matches drawn, and one tied. While India holds an edge over Australia at home, they haven't been able to completely dominate.
