India move to No.1 position in WTC points table after New Zealand succumbs to Australia’s bowling attack

In the WTC points table, India moved to the No.1 position after New Zealand lost to Australia by 172 runs. The Cricket Governing Body released the rankings on March 3, post the 1st Test match between New Zealand and Australia. India’s recent performance in the Test series against England has been a plus point for the team’s rankings.

India has already won the series against England 3-1. However, there is one last match in Dharamshala starting on March 7. If India wants to retain their No.1 position, they’ll have to look forward to winning the last match. Given Australia’s form in recent times, if they manage to defeat New Zealand in the final Test match, they’ll move up the points table.

In the absence of senior players, the youngsters have shown some great intent during the entire series. The inclusion of Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel to the team helped the team gain balance in the batting order. The most important thing about the young players is the kind of attitude they carried during the entire series. The never-giving-up attitude of Shubman Gill and Jurel helped India win the last match when the team was struggling to find momentum. Thus, if they maintain their form, India will stay at No.1 for a long time.

Australia defeated New Zealand by 172 runs

In the 1st Test match between New Zealand and Australia, the visitors defeated the Kiwis by a massive 172 runs. Cameron Green and Nathon Lyon were the heroes of the match with their brilliant batting and bowling performances. While Green played a beautiful 173-run innings, Lyon claimed 10 wickets (4 and 6) in the 1st match.

New Zealand’s batting line-up was clueless in their backyard while batting against the Australian spinner. The hosts team failed in all the departments and the Aussies dominated them throughout the match. Except for Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips, no batter touched the 50-run mark. If New Zealand fails to win the last match, their WTC points will decline and they’ll fail to qualify for the WTC 2025 finals.