India vs New Zealand: How Bengaluru rain could threaten India's WTC 2025 final chances
Bengaluru's continuous rain has cast a shadow over the outcome of the first Test between India and New Zealand, as the entire first day was canceled due to the weather. The outlook for the next few days isn’t looking any better, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the match. Recently, India managed to achieve a result despite challenging conditions against Bangladesh, but they might have to perform similarly against the Kiwis if any cricket is played.
India Takes On New Zealand
This match is the second part of India's Test season for 2024/25 and is crucial as they prepare for their final games leading up to the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final. India is currently in a strong position at the top of the WTC standings, boasting a points percentage (PCT) of 74.24 from 11 Tests. Australia is in second place with a PCT of 62.50 after participating in 12 Tests, making both teams strong contenders for the WTC Final. Sri Lanka is in third place with a PCT of 55.56 from 9 Tests, while England and South Africa are in the fourth and fifth spots with PCTs of 45.59 and 38.89, respectively.
India has competed in both World Test Championship Finals so far but has not yet taken home the trophy, losing to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023. The performance of other teams could greatly affect India’s path to the WTC Final. Sri Lanka is currently their nearest rival, having just won a series against New Zealand. However, they face a tough challenge ahead with a difficult two-Test series in South Africa. On the other hand, England is still in the running, performing well in their series against a struggling Pakistan. Sri Lanka has proven they can be formidable opponents, having beaten South Africa 2-0 in their last home series back in 2018/19.
To secure a spot in the WTC Final, India must secure five wins and at least one draw from the 10 Tests in this WTC cycle. So far, they have notched up two wins, having completed a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh. Given their strong home performance over the last ten years and New Zealand's recent difficulties, India is expected to sweep the series against the Kiwis. However, if rain leads to a draw in Bengaluru, India will need to clinch at least one win in their upcoming challenge—the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
