Visitors At Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, New Zealand (NZ) defeated India (IND) by 25 runs in the third Test of the series. For the first time in 24 years, India lost a Test series in a straight sweep as the Rohit Sharma-led team struggled with the bat throughout the campaign. The World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification scenario became more complex as well, as there is a significant chance that India would not advance to the summit match for the first time since the tournament’s start.
India needed to win four of eight games before the New Zealand series. They need to win at least four games and draw another in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22, since they are now in a difficult place after suffering three straight losses. In Australia, they have won back-to-back series, but it will never be simple to win four and draw another.
During the series against New Zealand, India’s batting lineup was particularly weak against the spinners, as the batsmen were unable to establish their dominance. Every batter, with the exception of Rishabh Pant, struggled, which resulted in the humiliation at home. Although there were brief moments when certain batters performed well, consistency was one area in which they really battled.
In order to qualify for the WTC final, India must defeat Australia in the BGT 2024–25 Test series.
The Indian hitters won’t have it easy against the Australian pacers. For the first time in over a decade, they are eager to beat India in a Test series. Captain Pat Cummins and several other players have already said that they are prepared to break the chain and win the match when India visits later this month.
Also Read: ‘Wasn’t at my best with both bat and as a captain’ – Rohit Sharma’s honest admission after devastating series loss
Australia has to win two Test matches against Sri Lanka and five Test matches against India in seven games. South Africa must defeat Sri Lanka and Pakistan in all four Test matches, while New Zealand must defeat England in all three. Sri Lanka, now ranked third in the points table, must win all four of their Test matches.