The qualification race for the World Test Championship 2025–27 final has suddenly become much more interesting. Australia’s defeat against Bangladesh has changed the equation.
That defeat has made Australia’s road to the WTC Final slightly more difficult and has opened the door for other teams. With South Africa and New Zealand also performing strongly, the battle for the top two positions is becoming increasingly competitive.
New Zealand Are Looking Strong
New Zealand has strengthened its WTC campaign with an impressive performance in England.
They recently played a three-match Test series against England in England and won it 2–1. England won the opening Test, but New Zealand responded brilliantly by winning the next two matches and taking the series.
Winning a Test series in England is never easy, and New Zealand’s 2–1 victory has put them in a strong position in the WTC 2025–27 race.
South Africa Have Been Impressive
South Africa has also enjoyed an excellent run in the current WTC cycle.
They started with a 2–0 Test series victory over Zimbabwe in 2025 before travelling to Pakistan, where they managed to return home with the series level at 1–1.
But their biggest result came in India.
South Africa produced a brilliant performance to defeat India 2–0 in a Test series in India. Winning both Tests away from home was a massive result for South Africa and further strengthened their WTC campaign.
Considering their performances so far, South Africa are looking like one of the teams capable of qualifying for the WTC 2025–27 final.
India Have Put Themselves Under Pressure
India’s WTC campaign has been a mixture of strong performances and costly defeats.
India started their cycle with a challenging five-match Test series in England. They won two Tests, lost two and managed to draw the remaining match, finishing the series level.
After that, India returned home and defeated the West Indies in two consecutive Tests, with victories in Ahmedabad and Delhi.
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However, the biggest setback came against South Africa.
India suffered a 2–0 Test series defeat against South Africa at home, and that was the point where their WTC qualification campaign came under serious pressure. Losing both Tests at home proved costly and pushed India onto the back foot in the race for the final.
India are now playing against Sri Lanka, and with rain affecting the match after two days, the series becomes even more important for their qualification hopes.
WTC Qualification Scenario
Australia may have looked comfortable earlier in the cycle, but their defeat against Bangladesh has changed the picture. At the same time, New Zealand’s impressive 2–1 series victory in England and South Africa’s strong run have made the qualification race much tighter.
India, meanwhile, need to recover after their 2–0 home defeat against South Africa and make the most of their remaining opportunities.
Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India are all part of an increasingly interesting qualification battle, and recent results have shown just how quickly the WTC scenario can change.
There is no fixed PCT required to qualify for the WTC Final because the top two teams qualify and the final cut-off depends on results across the competition.
However, based on the current standings and remaining matches, we can estimate how many wins each team would need to finish around 60%, 65% or 70% PCT.
| Team | Current PCT | Matches Left | Wins for ~60% | Wins for ~65% | Wins for ~70% | Maximum Possible PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 77.78% | 13 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 90.91% |
| South Africa | 75.00% | 10 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 92.86% |
| New Zealand | 72.22% | 10 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 89.58% |
| Bangladesh | 66.67% | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 86.11% |
| India | 48.15% | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 74.07% |
| Sri Lanka | 41.67% | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 80.56% |
| England | 24.36% | 8 | Not Possible | Not Possible | Not Possible | 53.17% |
| Pakistan | 22.22% | 7 | 7 | Not Possible | Not Possible | 64.10% |
| West Indies | 20.83% | 2 | Not Possible | Not Possible | Not Possible | 32.14% |
Current WTC 2025–27 Standings
The latest WTC standings show just how competitive the race for the 2027 Final has become. Australia are still at the top, but South Africa and New Zealand are now very close behind them. Bangladesh have also moved into a strong position, while India currently finds itself fifth and under increasing pressure.
| Pos. | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded. | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 77.78% |
| 2 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 75.00% |
| 3 | New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 72.22% |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 66.67% |
| 5 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 48.15% |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 41.67% |
| 7 | England | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 38 | 24.36% |
| 8 | Pakistan | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 22.22% |
| 9 | West Indies | 12 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 20.83% |
The standings make the situation quite clear. Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh currently occupy the top four positions, while India are trying to close the gap from fifth.
For England, Pakistan and West Indies, the road to the WTC Final has become extremely difficult because of their low points percentages. They are now well behind the leading group and would need a remarkable turnaround combined with favourable results elsewhere to get back into the qualification conversation.
Sri Lanka are also under pressure, but their situation is slightly different. With a PCT of 41.67%, they are behind the leading contenders, although they are not as far adrift as England, Pakistan and West Indies.
India, meanwhile, are sitting at 48.15%, making their remaining matches extremely important. Their 2–0 home series defeat against South Africa pushed them onto the back foot, and they now have very little room to drop further points.
At the top, the gap is remarkably small. Australia are first with 77.78%, South Africa are second with 75.00%, and New Zealand are third with 72.22%. Bangladesh, at 66.67%, have also put themselves firmly into the conversation.
This is exactly why Australia’s defeat against Bangladesh has made the WTC 2025–27 qualification race much more interesting. What once looked like a comfortable position for Australia has now developed into a much tighter battle for the two places in the 2027 Final.
