India sweeps Windies but stay third in WTC race

India maintained their third position in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 standings despite registering a comprehensive 2-0 series victory over the West Indies on Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

The hosts completed a seven-wicket win in the second and final Test, marking Shubman Gill’s first series triumph as India’s Test captain, coinciding with head coach Gautam Gambhir’s birthday. Despite the clean sweep, India’s standing in the WTC table remained unchanged, though their points percentage saw an improvement.

After seven matches in the current WTC cycle, India have accumulated 52 points with a points percentage of 61.90 per cent, following four wins, two defeats, and one draw. Australia continue to lead the table with a perfect record of three wins from three matches, holding a 100 per cent points percentage. Sri Lanka occupy second place with a points percentage of 66.67 per cent, while the West Indies remain sixth after suffering five consecutive Test losses.

In the series opener in Ahmedabad, India dominated proceedings, sealing victory by an innings and 140 runs within two and a half days. However, the West Indies displayed greater resilience in the second Test, extending the contest into the fifth day through a spirited batting performance in their second innings.

After winning the toss in New Delhi, India posted a commanding first-innings total of 518/5 declared on the second day. The West Indies replied with 248, failing to convert promising starts into substantial scores. India enforced the follow-on despite their bowlers having already delivered 81.5 overs, a decision that attracted criticism from some quarters.

In the second innings, West Indies captain Roston Chase contributed 40 runs off 72 balls before Justin Greaves (50 not out) and Jayden Seales (32) staged a late recovery, adding 79 runs for the 10th wicket. Their partnership helped the visitors post 390, setting India a target of 121 runs.

India comfortably chased down the total, led by KL Rahul’s unbeaten 58 off 108 deliveries, to complete a 2-0 series win. The result marked India’s fourth victory in the ongoing WTC cycle and strengthened their pursuit of a place in the top two of the standings as the competition progressed.