How Can India Qualify For WTC 2027 Final After 0-2 Defeat Against South Africa? | Cricket News

How can India qualify for WTC 2027 final after 0-2 defeat in home series against South Africa. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI)

India suffered a humiliating defeat by 408 runs against South Africa in the second Test. In the red-ball match played at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, India could only manage to score 140 runs in reply to the target of 549. The defeat in the first-ever Test match played in Guwahati was India’s second straight loss in the home series against the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) winners, and the 0-2 whitewash in front of their home fans has now put India’s chances of qualifying for the WTC 2027 final in danger.

Though India are still alive in the race to finish in the top two and book a place in the WTC 2027 final, it is not going to be an easy task for the two-time WTC losing finalists. They can’t afford to lose even one of their remaining nine fixtures, four of which will be played away from home. If India manage to win all of the upcoming nine Tests, then irrespective of how others perform, India will be guaranteed to finish in the top two.

Whereas defeats will increase their dependency on the results of other teams.

As of now, India have 48.15 PCT% and they can reach a maximum of 74.07, which will be enough to seal the deal.

India’s PCT% prediction (depending on result of remaining nine Tests)

After managing to win only four out of nine Tests played so far in the WTC 2025-27 cycle, India will next face Sri Lanka in a two-match away series next year and then travel to New Zealand for a two-match series.

India’s upcoming series in WTC 2025-27

India last won a Test series in New Zealand under MS Dhoni’s leadership in 2009, and the tour of New Zealand will be the biggest challenge for the Indian team.

Since the start of the WTC in July 2019, India have played eight Tests against the Black Caps and suffered defeat in six. The last three defeats, in fact, came in the home series last year.

In their last Test tour of New Zealand in 2020, India played two matches but suffered humiliating defeats in both of them under Virat Kohli’s leadership.

India’s last Test win in New Zealand was way back in March 2009 when they crushed the hosts by 10 wickets in the series opener played at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

After playing four away Tests in 2026, India will host the 2027 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the first quarter of 2027. The 2027 edition of BGT will feature five Test matches between India and Australia. India have only whitewashed Australia once in a Test series played in India. Under MS Dhoni’s leadership, India won the 2013 edition of BGT with a scoreline of 4-0.