Sri Lanka secures a top-three spot in the WTC standings after defeating New Zealand by 63 runs. Can they challenge India and Australia for the WTC final?
The Sri Lankan cricket team made a significant stride in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings by jumping into third place following a comprehensive victory over New Zealand in the 1st Test of the series. A six-wicket win by 63 runs on September 23 at the Galle International Stadium flung Sri Lanka to third spot on the points table as they consolidate their position as strong contenders for the WTC final next June.
With their win, Sri Lanka overhauled New Zealand - a team that has been known historically for fighting qualities and Test cricketing acumen. It was an achievement that meant a lot for Sri Lanka, and added a new dimension to the battle for the WTC races.
Sri Lanka’s Dominance at Galle
New Zealand were left chasing a hard target of 275 runs in the second innings and Sri Lanka had the better of things with disciplined bowling, which ensured that the visitors never gained any sort of foothold. The upset lay at the very heart of the game-Prabath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lankan left-arm spinner, who took a fine five-wicket haul. He was fundamental in breaking up the backbone of New Zealand batting as they tumbled over for 211 runs.
His was a performance which had everything in it that tells one why Sri Lanka often is so dominant on the turning tracks of Galle, even if not quite as ruthless as they appeared during this game. He was again the tormentor of New Zealand's middle order and that makes him the stand out player from this match. His role for Sri Lanka in their WTC campaign is likely going to have an upward curve in competition going forward.
WTC Points Table 2024: Sri Lanka Joins the Elite
Though Sri Lanka inched up to the third spot, India and Australia have retained the first two spots. The ICC World Test Championship points table continued to be dominated by India, who edged Bangladesh by 280 runs in the test match at Chennai. India now waits for the next challenge, as they face the Kanpur Test, where they hope their position will consolidate further.
Indeed, Australia also remains strong in the WTC standings, and chances of another India-Australia contest in the final of the WTC are getting very likely. However, with some key matches left in the WTC cycle, Sri Lanka's ascension has infused a new dimension to the competition.
|
Teams |
Matches |
Win |
Lost |
Draw |
Points |
|
India |
10 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
86 |
|
Australia |
12 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
90 |
|
Sri Lanka |
8 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
48 |
|
New Zealand |
7 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
36 |
|
England |
16 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
81 |
|
Bangladesh |
7 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
33 |
|
South Africa |
6 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
28 |
|
Pakistan |
7 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
16 |
|
West Indies |
9 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
20 |
How to qualify for WTC final?
Teams are ranked according to the number of points they’ve accumulated. Two top teams with highest-points progress to the knockout stages i.e WTC final.
