Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes that India's campaign for a place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 final could almost be determined by their upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Chopra asserted that the series is enormously important, with India's qualification chances hanging in the balance. India are set to begin their Sri Lanka tour with the first Test on August 15, with every result in the current WTC cycle having a major impact on the points table. More importantly, there are only two Tests in the series, making it incredibly vital for India to win.
“If we lose 2-0, we will remain at only 39 percentage points, and Sri Lanka will jump to 61 percentage points, and they will be No. 4. Sri Lanka will be in the run if they beat India 2-0. Then they have a realistic chance of going forward, or else it's a so-near-yet-so-far story for them," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Currently, India find themselves in fifth place in the WTC standings after playing nine matches. The side has secured four victories while suffering four defeats.
“If we win this series 2-0, we will reach 57.58 percentage points. If we do a clean sweep, we will gain a little. If we draw the series 1-1, we won't gain anything because we will be at 48.48 and Sri Lanka will be at 44.44, and the positions will remain as is," Chopra said.
India also have challenging assignments lined up ahead as they will face New Zealand and Australia in their upcoming Test series.
"Going forward, we have a two-match series in New Zealand, where it is difficult to win. Even if you lose one match, you lose 50 percentage points. It's going to be a tough one, and after that, there are five matches against Australia in India. India is in a tough position," Chopra said.