Delhi: The ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle is slowly entering its exciting phase. With 15 of the 27 series remaining, the world will be watching Test cricket in the coming months. All nine teams have a chance to qualify for the final, but some teams are far better placed than others.

Regarding the past two WTC cycles, the teams that reached the final have typically had a win percentage of over 65 percent. Therefore, simply reaching 60 percent may not be enough. Let’s find out where each team currently stands in the WTC points table and what it needs to do to stay in the race for the final.

Australia in the strongest position

Australia has played eight Tests so far, with seven wins and one loss, and a win percentage of 87.50. The team still has 14 Tests to play, the most among all teams.

Australia has Test series against Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, and India. To reach 60%, it needs 75 points from its remaining matches, meaning about 6 wins and 1 draw would be sufficient. If Australia wins 8 matches, its percentage could reach 68.18.

South Africa is also a strong contender

South Africa has won 3 out of 4 Tests and has a 75% percentage. It has 10 Tests remaining. The team has to play against Australia, Bangladesh, England, and Sri Lanka. To reach 60%, it needs 65 points. Five wins and two draws would help it reach this mark. Seven wins would bring the team’s percentage to 71.43.

New Zealand faces a major challenge on its tour of Australia

New Zealand has achieved a 72.22% percentage with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw in 6 Tests. The Kiwis have 10 more Tests to play in this round. New Zealand will face India, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the coming days. They need 64 points to reach 60%. Five wins and a draw are sufficient to achieve this. However, they may need to perform better than this to reach the final.

Bangladesh also has a chance to reach the final

Bangladesh is at 58.33 percent with 2 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw in 4 Tests. They have 8 Tests remaining. The team has to play away series against Australia and South Africa, and host the West Indies and England. Even if Bangladesh wins all four of its home Tests, it will still need to win at least one Test in Australia or South Africa to reach 60%.

India needs to make a strong comeback

India has achieved 48.15 percent with 4 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw in 9 Tests. They have 9 Tests remaining. India will play in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, while hosting Australia.

India needs 78 points to reach 60%. To achieve this, it will need either 6 wins and 2 draws or 7 wins. The home series against Australia will be crucial for India. The team no longer has much room for error to reach the WTC final.

Sri Lanka has a chance at home

Sri Lanka has achieved 41.67% with 1 win, 1 loss, and 2 draws in 4 Tests. It has 8 Tests remaining. Sri Lanka will play against India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa. To reach 60%, it needs 67 points. This requires 5 wins and 2 draws or 6 wins.

The Test series against India, starting on August 15th, will be crucial for Sri Lanka. It can improve its position by taking advantage of home conditions.

England’s Path Almost Difficult

England has only four wins in 13 Tests so far. With eight losses and one draw, its win percentage is 24.36. The team has also been penalized 14 points for a poor over rate. England has eight Tests remaining. They are scheduled to play against Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh. Even if they win all eight matches, their maximum percentage will only be around 53.17. Consequently, England’s path to the WTC final appears extremely difficult.

Pakistan Must Win Every Match

Pakistan has two wins and four losses in six Tests. Its win percentage is 22.22. Furthermore, the team has lost eight penalty points. Pakistan has seven Tests remaining. They are scheduled to play against England away and against Sri Lanka and New Zealand at home.

If Pakistan wins all seven of its matches, its percentage could reach 64.10. However, six wins and one draw would only bring Pakistan’s percentage to 58.97. This means Pakistan will have to win almost every match to remain in contention for the final.

West Indies’ hopes are almost over

West Indies have recorded two wins, eight losses, and two draws in 12 Tests. Their percentage is 20.83. The team now has only two Tests remaining, which will be against Bangladesh.

Even after winning both matches, West Indies’ maximum percentage would be 32.14. Consequently, their hopes of reaching the WTC final are almost over.