The struggles for Team India continued against New Zealand, who on Saturday secured yet another Test victory to put Rohit Sharma and Co.'s World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes into jeopardy. India had endured a tough eight-wicket loss in Bengaluru, which was played in seaming conditions, and the outcome was similar in Pune, where the surface assisted the spinners. India succumbed by 113 runs in the second encounter as New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. This was also the first time the Black Caps sealed a Test series against India on Indian soil.
Despite conceding the series, India are still placed at top of the WTC points table, however, their points percentage (PCT) took a major blow after the Pune Test. India's point percentage dropped from 68.06 to 62.82 and they are now just 0.32 ahead of Australia (62.50), who occupy the second spot.
The result also put an end to India's streak of winning 18 consecutive Test series at home, marking their first loss in 12 years. Ahead of the series, Rohit Sharma and Co. were labelled favourites to win all the matches against New Zealand in their pursuit of a final spot in the WTC. However, the beatdowns in Bengaluru and Pune have made the situation trickier as India get ready to fly Down Under for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which has gained more significance now.
WTC Final Qualification Scenario Explained: What India need to do, who are the other contenders apart from Australia
In order to qualify for the finals without depending on the results of other teams, India need to win four of their remaining six matches and avoid any hiccups during the course. The best scenario for India will be to win the final Test against New Zealand, which will be played in Mumbai from November 1, and then win three out of the five Tests scheduled against Australia.
Rohit Sharma was asked about the same during the post-match presser on Saturday, to which the India skipper replied: "I am hurting because we lost the game. Can't think about what lies ahead and can it affect our chances. We didn't play well enough, we lost the series and that is hurting. There are things we need to do as a unit."
Meanwhile, back-to-back defeats have opened the gates for other contenders, with South Africa being in the best spot to overtake India in the race to qualify for the WTC25 Final next year.
South Africa stand fifth with a point percentage of 47.62 and will engage in five Tests before the WTC final. Out of the five Tests, one is against Bangladesh in the sub-continent, and two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home. This gives them a good opportunity to win all the five matches and give India a solid run for their money in the race for the finale.
Meanwhile, the historic win against India has elevated the Black Caps, who now have a PCT of 50, to the fourth spot and back into the reckoning for a finals spot. However, they also need to win all their matches in the lead up to the final, which is one against India at the Wankhede, and three against England, which they play at home.
Sri Lanka, who have a PCT of 55.56, occupy the third spot while Pakistan's nine-wicket victory against England in the third Test in Rawalpindi has helped them climb to seventh place with 33.33 PCT. England, who have 40.79 PCT, are sixth.
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