NEW DELHI: With only six Tests remaining for Team India in the WTC cycle, an injury-plagued team has a big task in front of them with the first challenge coming up their way against Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series, starting in Chattogram on Wednesday.
The Indian team will need to win all their six Test matches, which include two in Bangladesh and four against Australia at home, to keep themselves in contention for a top-two spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.
One defeat would be enough to put India on the brink of missing the final.
The season-ending World Test Championship will be held in June, 2023 at the Oval in London.
India, who will be without the services of injured Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami. will be playing their first Test since their seven-wicket loss to England in the postponed fifth Test at Edgbaston in July.
Currently, the Team India is placed fourth in the table with 52.08 percentage points while Australia (75 percentage points) and South Africa (60 percentage points) are placed first and second.
WTC Standings
Australia, who won Test series 2-0 against West Indies, have consolidated their position at the top and it will be difficult to displace them from the top two while South Africa would look to maintain their second spot as they have five Tests remaining with an away three-match series against Australia and two Tests against West Indies at home.
Sri Lanka, with 53.33 percentage points are third on the table, have a slim chance of qualification and will need multiple results to go in their favour before they play their last Test series of the WTC cycle in March against New Zealand.
