India's Performance in the WTC 2023-25 Cycle: A Detailed Analysis
In the ongoing WTC cycle, India had a disappointing campaign as the team is no longer in the contention to play the WTC final. The SENA teams of Australia and South Africa will face each other for the 2025 final. India’s chances were cut short after they were defeated by Australia in the Sydney Test match thereby conceding a 3-1 series defeat. Due to this India has no more matches to play in the WTC standings.
Despite this setback, there is no denying India’s dominance in the Test cycle over the past two years, having stayed at the top for most of the time. In the 2023-25 WTC cycle, India played 19 Tests, out of which they emerged victorious in 9, suffered 8 defeats, and drew 2. Of note, their 6 losses were recorded in the last two series: They were thrashed 3-0 at home by New Zealand and then lost the series 3-1 to Australia, thereby losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which they had held for the better part of a decade. In the WTC 2023-25 cycle, here’s how India has performed:
India’s Journey in the 2023-25 WTC Cycle: Wins and Losses
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| India vs West Indies | 1-0 (2 Test Matches) |
| India vs South Africa | 1-1 (2 Test Matches) |
| India vs England | 4-1 Win (5 Test Matches) |
| India vs Bangladesh | 2-0 Win (2 Test Matches) |
| India vs New Zealand | 0-3 Loss (3 Test Matches) |
| India vs Australia (BGT 2024) | 1-3 Loss (5 Test Matches) |
Although India’s WTC campaign can be considered a disappointment, the team started off on a good note. They started their campaign by defeating West Indies in a 2-test match series by 1-0. However, in December 2023 the team suffered the first loss during Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and later on bounced back with a comfortable win against South Africa in the second match.
India’s peak can be said to have been reached during the five-Test match series against England where India emerged victors with 4-1. The Indian team after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 carried on with their good performance in Test cricket by clean sweeping Bangladesh. However, things began to turn around after that. It shocked the team as they were only three games away from qualifying for the WTC final and then lost to New Zealand. This loss can be attributed to changes made to India’s batting order, especially during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India’s performance in the BGT can be divided into two phases; a strong beginning and three significant losses. India’s performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was not only limited to their loss in the World Test Championship but it also affected their next WTC cycle. The next WTC cycle of India is scheduled to start from June and it will be interesting to watch how the team will be able to get back on track and get ready to face the challenges that are to come ahead.