India kept their World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes alive with a resounding 295-run victory over Australia in the first Test at Optus Stadium on Monday. The win boosted India's position in the ICC WTC standings and marked a dominant start to the five-match series.
The victory lifted India’s percentage of points (PCT) from 58.33 to 61.11, taking them to the top of the table. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, slipped to second place with a PCT of 57.69.
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Here’s the updated ICC World Test Championship points table:
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | Ded | Points | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 110 | 61.11 |
| 2 | Australia | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 90 | 57.69 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 55.56 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 54.55 |
| 5 | South Africa | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 54.17 |
| 6 | England | 19 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 93 | 40.79 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 33.33 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 27.50 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 18.52 |
AUS vs IND, 1st Test Day 4 Highlights
Australia, resuming at 12-3 on the fourth day, struggled to recover as Usman Khawaja fell without adding to his overnight tally, dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. Steve Smith contributed a cautious 17 off 60 balls before Siraj claimed his wicket.
Travis Head (89) and Mitchell Marsh (47) offered some resistance but fell short of milestones. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy took his maiden Test wicket, dismissing Marsh. Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj finished with three wickets each, while Washington Sundar took two scalps.
India and Australia will face off in the second Test of the series, a day-night game, at Adelaide Oval starting December 6.
In other WTC action, South Africa will host Sri Lanka in a two-match series, with the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban set to begin on November 27.
India reached the WTC finals in the first two editions but failed to win the title, losing to New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023. Australia claimed their maiden WTC title earlier this year under Pat Cummins’ leadership.