Rohit Sharma and Co suffered a historic defeat at the hands of New Zealand today, ending India’s nearly 12-year unbeaten streak in home Tests.

The Men in Blue succumbed in the decisive IND vs NZ second Test and with that, they lost the three-match series with one more game to play.

Defeat will now affect India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC Final) next year, although they are still at the top of the points table.

India remains on top of the WTC points table with 62.82 percentage points (PCT) after 13 matches (98 points). Australia is currently in second place with a points percentage of 62.50, for a total of 90 points. Before their recent second Test loss, India’s PCT stood at 68.06. Despite retaining the number one position, their lead over Australia has become quite slim.

New Zealand, previously ranked fifth, moved up to fourth after their recent victory and now has a points percentage of 50.

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What must India do to qualify for the WTC finals?

India plays one more Test against New Zealand, which will be followed by the much-awaited five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

To secure a spot in the WTC final regardless of other teams’ results, India needs to win four of its remaining six matches.

If India draw one Test and win the other five, their PCT will increase to 71.05. Winning all the remaining tests would further strengthen his position, achieving a PCT of 74.56, although this result is challenging.

Winning at least two matches keeps India in the race, but then it would depend on the results of other matches. To maintain a PCT of 60 or more (a target considered relatively safe), India would need to win two Tests and draw the remaining four.

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