India Claims No.1 Spot in World Test Championship Points Table
The Indian cricket team claimed the top spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table on Sunday (March 3) following Australia's win over New Zealand in Wellington.
Australia's dominant victory of 172 runs against New Zealand in the first Test of the NZ vs AUS two-match Test series aided India's rise to the top spot in the ICC WTC points table, with a PCT (%) of 64.58%.
Indian team followed by the Kiwis, who have a point percentage of 60.00%. Australia are in the third spot and their points percentage stands at 59.09%.
Check below the updated ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table after Aus vs NZ 1st Test in Wellington
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | Loss | Draw | Points | PCT (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62 | 64.58 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 60 |
| 3 | Australia | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 78 | 59.09 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 50 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 36.66 |
| 6 | West Indies | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 33.33 |
| 7 | South Africa | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 25 |
| 8 | England | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 19.44 |
| 9 | Sri lanka | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Australia beat New Zealand by 172 runs in NZ vs AUS 1st Test
Australia scored 383 runs in their first innings, led by Cameron Green's stunning 174 not out, while New Zealand's Matt Henry claimed 5 wickets.
In reply, New Zealand struggled, scoring only 179 runs in their first innings, with Phillips being the top scorer with 71 runs, while Lyon grabbed four wickets for 43 runs.
In their second innings, Australia scored 164 runs, with Nathan Lyon contributing 41; Todd Phillips of New Zealand claimed 5 wickets for 45 runs.
On day four, New Zealand scored 196 runs while chasing a target of 369. Rachin Ravindra contributed 59 runs. Lyon took six wickets and scored 65 runs for Australia. Eventually, Australia won by 172 runs.
Nathan Lyon emerged as a hero for Australia. Lyon's outstanding performance resulted in an impressive 10-wicket haul, with 6 wickets for 65 runs in the first innings and 4 wickets for 43 runs in the second. His achievement marks the first instance of a spinner securing a 10-wicket haul in New Zealand since 2006.
India is poised to retain the top spot in the ICC WTC Points Table if they win the fifth and final Test of the IND vs ENG series, which begins on March 7 in Dharamshala. However, if the fifth Test between India and England ends in a tie or England wins, Australia and New Zealand could surpass India as table-toppers in the WTC 2023-25 points table.
Furthermore, the second Test between New Zealand and Australia will begin on Friday, March 8 in Christchurch.