WTC 2023-25 Points Table: New Zealand Drop To 7th Position As Sri Lanka Close Gap With Australia

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by an innings and 154 runs in the second Test played at Galle International Stadium on Sunday (September 29) to win the two-match Test series by a margin of 2-0. Debutant Nishan Peiris picked up six wickets in the second innings for 170 runs to help the hosts dismiss Kiwis for 360 runs in 81.4 overs. Glenn Phillips top-scored the Black Caps by making 78 runs from 99 balls, and apart from him opening batter Devon Conway, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell and all-rounder Mitchell Santner also scored half-centuries in the 2nd inning.

Peiris finished the match with nine wickets, and Prabath Jayasuriya also got rid of nine Kiwi batters in the match. He dismissed six batters in the first inning and three in the second.

The win in the second Test helps Sri Lanka close the gap with defending champions Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table. The Islanders are in third position with 55.56 PCT%, whereas Australia is second with 62.50 PCT%.

Rohit Sharma-led Indian men’s cricket team is leading the WTC 2023-25 points table with 71.67 PCT%. But the two-time losing finalists will lose some points if the ongoing second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur finishes in a draw.

The back-to-back defeats in the series against Sri Lanka have dropped New Zealand to No. 7 position in the points table. The inaugural edition winners, who are now set to travel to India for a three-match Test series next month, have 37.50 PCT%.

New Zealand will get knocked out of the race to qualify for the WTC final at Lord’s next year if they suffer three defeats in three matches against India next month.

The first Test of the three-match series between India and New Zealand is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru from October 16 to 20. Pune’s MCA Stadium will host the second Test from October 25 and the third red-ball will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from November 1 to 5.

After the New Zealand series, India will travel to Australia for a five-match Test series. The 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to start on November 22 in Perth.