Published on: Aug 19, 2026 4:31 pm IST|Updated on: Aug 19, 2026 4:31 pm IST
Team India secured a massive 165-run win in the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in Galle. With the win, India remains at the 5th spot on the WTC 2025-27 points table with 5 wins, 4 losses, and a draw from 10 matches and keeps them firmly in the hunt for a possible spot among the top two on the table.
As of now, Australia tops the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table with 7 wins and 2 losses from 9 games. Despite their humiliating defeat at home against Bangladesh by 9 wickets, Australia firmly holds the pole position on the points table. They are closely followed by the reigning, defending, undisputed World Test Champions, South Africa, who have won three of their four Test matches in the cycle so far and have succumbed to a solitary defeat.
Despite securing a clinical win in Galle, India remains in 5th position on the WTC standings. Because the WTC ranking system prioritizes the Points Percentage (PCT) rather than overall points scored, top sides Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand maintain a healthy cushion over India.
Australia leads the table with a commanding 77.78%, while the West Indies languish at the bottom with just 20.83%. South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh are tightly packed in the top four, making the race for the WTC Final spot highly competitive.
Following a magnificent 165-run victory in the opening Test of the 2-match Test series on their Tour of Sri Lanka, Team India’s PCT has moved up to 48.15%. If we go back in history, teams require at least 60% to 64% to make it to the finals. With 8 matches still remaining for India in this WTC cycle, India’s margin for error is next to negligible.
To get closer to the 60% PCT mark, Team India needs to win at least 6 of their remaining 8 Test matches. With 6 wins, they will push their total points to 136, which can elevate their final PCT to 62.96%, which will give them a spot in the finals. Anything less than 6 wins won’t be helpful for Team India to secure a spot in the final.
Winning the second Test in Colombo to complete a 2-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka is inescapable. A slip-up against Sri Lanka or during the upcoming away series in New Zealand would place enormous pressure on India when they host Australia in a highly anticipated five-Test home series. Given the slump in form India has shown at home in the last year or so, hosting Australia won’t be a cakewalk, especially after South Africa cleanswept Team India last year in their own backyard. While the task is demanding, India’s commanding performance in Galle proves they have the momentum to stay in the race.