India back atop the WTC Standings following victory in the Perth Test

India were handed a harsh reality check by New Zealand ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The 0-3 series whitewash at home against the Kiwis dealt a significant blow to India's reputation in Test cricket. Moreover, the defeat considerably diminished India's chances of qualifying for the WTC Finals. Before the India tour of Australia began, the team faced a great deal of skepticism. To make matters worse, skipper Rohit Sharma marked absent from the opening Test of the series, and Shubman Gill sustained an injury just before the Perth Test. However, as it stands now, four days into the series Down Under, the relatively inexperienced team, led by Jasprit Bumrah, has scripted a historic victory.

India reclaims the top spot in WTC Standings following victory against Australia at Perth

India didn’t just defeat the Kangaroos but did so by a massive margin of 295 runs. This victory marks the first crucial step India has taken towards bolstering their chances of qualifying for the WTC Final. Over the course of 4 days, India displayed an all-round performance, headlined by the incredible Jasprit Bumrah. The bowling lineup containing Siraj, debutants Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy staged a seamless turnaround for the team. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul wrote the winning script with their record-breaking opening partnership in the second innings. To make the dominance even more sweet, Virat Kohli finally roared back into form as the 36-year-old hit his 30th Test ton.

On day 4 at Perth, India became the first team to claim a victory at the Optus Stadium in Perth. There could not have been a better start to the Border Gavaskar series for the team. As India clinched an edge over the Kangaroos in the BGT, the 295-run victory also improved their WTC Standing. Pushed at the second spot in the rankings, India reclaimed its spot at the top, dethroning Australia. India now have 110 points from 15 matches, with a points percentage of 61.11. Australia, with eight wins in 13 matches, slipped to second with 90 points and a percentage of 57.69. The standings see Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa, and England occupying the third to sixth spots, respectively.

India’s path to the WTC final became challenging after a 0-3 series defeat to New Zealand. To secure a spot in the summit clash without relying on other results, they need to achieve a 4-0 series sweep against Australia. With the first Test in the bag, India will aim to build on their momentum in the second match, scheduled to begin on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval.