WTC race heats up: India eye crucial home points; South Africa arrive for two-Test battle

NEW DELHI: As India hole to big reigning World Test Championship (WTC) winners South Africa successful a high-stakes two-Test bid starting November 14 astatine Eden Gardens, the conflict for the apical spots successful the 2025–27 WTC rhythm is acceptable to intensify.

With each constituent important successful the contention to the 2027 last astatine Lord’s, some teams person plentifulness to play for.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India presently beryllium 3rd connected the WTC array with a points percent of 61.90%, having drawn 2-2 successful England and swept West Indies 2-0 astatine location earlier this year. Shubman Gill (946 runs) and Mohammed Siraj (33 wickets) pb India’s batting and bowling charts respectively this cycle. The upcoming bid against South Africa volition trial India’s mettle against a broadside that has agelong been 1 of their toughest red-ball challengers.

South Africa, meanwhile, are placed 4th with a points percent of 50% aft splitting their lone bid truthful acold against Pakistan (1-1). The defending champions, led by Tony de Zorzi (175 runs) and Simon Harmer (13 wickets), volition look to physique momentum aboriginal successful the rhythm arsenic they pursuit back-to-back WTC last appearances.The bid — to beryllium played successful Kolkata and Guwahati — besides marks the archetypal clip since 2019 that South Africa play Tests connected Indian soil.

The conditions are expected to heavy favour spin, but India’s gait battery, led by Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, remains arsenic potent.

For India, a beardown showing against the Proteas volition beryllium captious earlier their gruelling five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia adjacent year. With bid against Sri Lanka and New Zealand inactive to come, aboriginal dominance astatine location could spell a agelong mode successful sealing a 3rd WTC last berth.Elsewhere successful the standings, Australia pb the array with a cleanable 100% grounds aft sweeping West Indies, followed by Sri Lanka connected 66.67%. England, Pakistan, and Bangladesh way down arsenic they cogwheel up for cardinal bid aboriginal successful the cycle.The clash betwixt India and South Africa is much than conscionable different Test contention — it’s a conflict betwixt the past and contiguous WTC finalists, each aiming to solidify their spot successful the precocious fractional of the table.