India dropped to sixth place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings on Friday after New Zealand defeated the West Indies by nine wickets in the second Test at Wellington. The result enabled the Black Caps to surge into third place, pushing India further down the table.
This slide comes at a time when India have faced an unusual dip in home dominance. Earlier, India suffered a 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand, marking one of their rare losses on home soil in recent years. They then lost another home series last month, going down 2-0 to South Africa, which had already pushed them to fifth in the WTC standings before New Zealand’s latest win reshuffled the table again.
Australia continue to occupy the top spot with a perfect 100 percentage points, followed by South Africa at 75. Sri Lanka (66.67) and Pakistan (50) currently hold the fourth and fifth positions respectively. With their victory in Wellington, New Zealand have climbed to a PCT of 66.67, while India’s percentage has dipped to 48.15.
India could slip further to seventh if England manage a comeback in the ongoing Ashes series, where Australia currently lead 2-0 with three matches left.
New Zealand’s victory was sealed by Jacob Duffy’s impressive five-wicket haul, which helped bowl out the West Indies for 128 in their second innings. Chasing just 56 for victory, Devon Conway (28*) and Kane Williamson (16*) guided the hosts to a comfortable win after the early dismissal of captain Tom Latham.
The win has boosted New Zealand’s hopes of securing a second appearance in the World Test Championship Final, having won the inaugural edition in 2021.
India’s next WTC assignment is scheduled against Sri Lanka in August next year, while the third Test between New Zealand and the West Indies begins on December 18 in Mount Maunganui.
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