Skip to main content

How Can India Qualify For WTC Final After Loss Against NZ In First Test?

India's dreams of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) Final were dealt a major blow after the Rohit Sharma-led side slumped to a eight-wicket loss against New Zealand in the first Test encounter in Bengaluru on Sunday. Chasing 107 in the second innings, New Zealand never looked in trouble and Indian bowlers were unable to take wickets at crucial intervals. As a result, India will have to win five from their remaining seven matches in order to secure a spot in the WTC Final. Rohit and Co were able to maintain the top spot in the points table but their lead was cut down quite a bit. India will now face New Zealand in two more Tests before heading to Australia for a five-match series.

India loosened their grip somewhat but continued to lead the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, despite suffering an eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the three-match series opener.

India's percentage dropped to 68.06 percent after the humbling experience in Bengaluru, and they will now look to get their act together before the upcoming two Tests and the ensuing five-match series in Australia at the end of the year.

The Black Caps chased down their victory target of 107 with relative ease, with the win catapulting the side from sixth up to fourth on the updated standings with a win-loss percentage of 44.44 percent.

Reigning champions Australia and Sri Lanka are currently India's closest challengers on the standings, with Pat Cummins' side in second place on 62.50 percent and the island nation narrowly behind with 55.56 following their recent series sweep over New Zealand.

But New Zealand's triumph over India has the Kiwis back in the running for a second appearance in the World Test Championship final, as they overtake England and South Africa to re-claim fourth position.

New Zealand host England for three Tests in November and December and may still be in contention for a top two finish on the standings with a pair of positive results from the remaining matches against India.

After bowling India out for a historic low of 46 on the first morning of the match, New Zealand piled up a massive 402 thanks largely to a Rachin Ravindra century (134) and a Tim Southee cameo (65) lower down the order.

India responded strongly in their second essay with Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99) masterminding an excellent comeback, before the second new ball turned the match.

(With PTI inputs) 



from NDTV Sports-Cricket
https://ift.tt/TvH6e47

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please do not enter any spam link in the comment box.

Popular posts from this blog

Sanju Samson's Act Minutes After T20 World Cup Selection Wins Hearts

April 8, 2008. Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match. That drizzly evening in Kottayam, a town in central Kerala, changed his heart. Forever. Sanju reshuffled his career dream, from wanting to become a civil servant to entering the elite world of a top-flight cricketer. "Sanju always recollects that day, which gave him the dream of reaching that league of top players one day," said former Kerala player Raiphi Vincent Gomez, also a close friend of the wicketkeeper batter. But merely having a dream will not take anyone to the top of their profession, more so in sports. Sanju then had oodles of determination too to walk down his chosen path. Biju George, the former India women's cricket team's fielding coach and the early mentor of the Kerala player, saw that brightly flickering flame inside...
Post a Comment
Read more

Champions Trophy: BCCI Eyeing Star Who's Been Out Of Action For 417 Days

The Champions Trophy squad announcement deadline is January 12. The tournament starts on February 19, while India's first match is on February 20. All eyes will be on India's squad, especially after the Border Gavaskar Trophy debacle. Focus will be on veterans like Rohit Sharma , Virat Kohli , Jasprit Bumrah among others. In the midst of this, there is some positive news. Mohammed Shami , who last played an international match on November 19, 2023 (417 days ago from today), is expected to make a return, according to a report in Cricbuzz . Shami has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the top wicket-taker.  The report said that Shami's is being closely monitored by the BCCI's medical team. Shami underwent a surgery in his ankle after the World Cup. Then a knee swelling delayed his return and he missed the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Now, the report said that there is 'optimism' in the BCCI corridors over his return. A fitness clearance fro...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Gets Aggressive At Times": Akram On Gambhir As India Head Coach Candidate

The hunt for the next Indian cricket team head coach is underway with Rahul Dravid reportedly confirming that he will not be reapplying for the position. A lot of names have been making the rounds like Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming , former India cricketer VVS Laxman and even ex-Australia batter Justin Langer . One such name is that of former India cricketer and current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir - a personality who is well known for his cricket acumen but has already courted controversy for his straightforward statements. Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram backed Gambhir as the 'best candidate' and said that he will bring a brand of 'aggression' in the team if he is appointed. "Yeah, he is the best candidate. It depends on whether Gautam accepts it. He has also left politics because it took too much time. It is a time-consuming job. He is a very intelligent person, so he realised it's not easy. He has two lovely daughters,...
Post a Comment
Read more