India suffered a disappointing 25-run defeat to New Zealand in the third Test. With this, the series finished with a poor score of 0-3 in the favour of Kiwis. The only other time India lost every match at home was against South Africa in 2000 when South Africa won the series 2-0. This is the first time India has been completely beaten at home in a series of three or more matches.
In the fourth inning of the match, the target of 146 runs looked small, but it was a tough challenge because of the pitch conditions. India needed to play well to reach it, but they couldn’t and ended up losing. Indian Wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant kept some hopes alive for India where he played an innings of 64 runs. However, none of the batters supported Pant and the team collapsed.
Ajaz Patel was the star for New Zealand, taking six wickets and bowling India out for just 121 runs.
This loss has also hurt India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final. As a result, India’s points percentage fell to 58.33, and they dropped to second place in the WTC rankings.
How Can India Still Qualify For The WTC Final After The Defeat Against NZ?
India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final have become much tougher after losing the series to New Zealand. The team was hoping to win all their home matches, which would have given them one win and two draws before going to Australia. However, New Zealand played better and has put India close to being out of the running for the WTC final.
To have any chance of qualifying for the WTC final after their loss to New Zealand, India needs to win all four matches against Australia. Seeing India’s recent performance, especially with the bat makes it look tough for Rohit Sharma and his team.
Updated WTC Points Table After India vs NZ Test Series, 2024
| Pos. | Team | Mat. | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 90 | 62.50 |
| 2 | India | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 98 | 58.33 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 60 | 55.56 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 72 | 54.55 |
| 5 | South Africa | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 52 | 54.17 |
| 6 | England | 19 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 93 | 40.41 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 33.33 | |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 33 | 27.50 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 18.52 |
| 10 | Pakistan | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 16.67 |
