The Indian cricket team would have hoped to collect all 24 available points from the IND vs SL Test series. However, Shubman Gill’s team gained 16 points through a victory in Galle and a draw in Colombo.
A hard-fought batting effort from Sri Lanka in Colombo meant both teams took away 4 points each from the 2nd Test.
India failed to bowl Sri Lanka out on day 5 of the Colombo Test, where Sonal Dinusha produced a valiant batting effort and got admirable support from the tailenders.
Dinusha had an outstanding series, as he registered three centuries and one half-century to finish with 420 runs at an average of 140, but Devdutt Padikkal, who stroked a hundred in each Test, received the Player of the Series award for 328 runs in three innings at an average of 109.
After the IND vs SL Test series, India are in the fifth position in the ICC WTC points table with 51.52%, and Sri Lanka are in the sixth position with 33.33.
The draw in the Colombo Test has pushed India further away from the ICC WTC final than they seemed to be before the beginning of the series. India’s cause had been helped a bit by Bangladesh beating Australia, the table leaders, as India are to face Australia early next year, although Bangladesh are also ahead of India on the table in the fourth spot.
Talking about the current ICC WTC points table, Australia remain at the top with 80%, followed by South Africa in the second position with 75%. New Zealand (72.22%) and Bangladesh (55.56%) occupy the third and fourth positions, respectively, while India (51.52%) are fifth.
How Can India Reach ICC WTC Final After 1-0 Series Win In IND v SL Test series?
India have 7 Test matches left in the ongoing ICC WTC cycle – 2 in New Zealand and 5 at home against Australia. If India win all 7 Tests, they will have 70.37% in the end, and six wins and one defeat will take India’s PCT to 65% – both these outcomes should be enough for India to reach the ICC WTC final 2027.
However, if they lose even two out of these 7 Tests, their maximum possible PCT will be around 60%, and then their qualification will be uncertain.
Against New Zealand and Australia, India face a difficult proposition ahead in their quest for a place in the WTC final. For now, India’s first priority would be to have Jasprit Bumrah fit and firing for the New Zealand tour; they’d also be hoping for Nitish Kumar Reddy to regain full fitness and be able to adapt to New Zealand conditions on the go.
Captain Gill said on India’s forthcoming challenge in the WTC cycle,
“Yes, we are going to New Zealand in November, so that’s a good series for us, and then we’ve got a good home series coming. So hopefully if we have a good New Zealand series, as long as we have a chance, we always keep believing, and hopefully we’ll make it to the finals.”
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