Shubman Gill Aims For WTC Final Ahead Of IND Vs SL Test Series

India's captain Shubman Gill has stated that the team's main goal is to play in the World Test Championship final next year. With the IND vs SL Test series starting on Friday, Gill believes this series is an important step towards achieving that goal.

Following home series defeats to South Africa and New Zealand, India have slipped to 5th in the standings. However, with Gill now more settled as captain, the team remains focused on reaching the summit clash at the Oval.

In a press conference, Gill said that India need to win around six or seven of their remaining nine Tests to have a good chance at qualifying for the WTC final. He emphasized the importance of the Sri Lanka Test series in this context.

India arrived early in Sri Lanka and had a productive warm-up fixture against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, which they won. The team's top-order batsmen, including Yashasvi Jaiswa, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, and Ravindra Jadeja, got some valuable practice ahead of the Test series.

To reach the WTC final, India need 78 more points from their remaining nine Tests to reach 60%. This could be achieved with six wins and two draws or seven wins. However, the road ahead will not be easy, with five of these Tests against Australia, a team that India have dominated in the past but have recently struggled against.

India's recent home form has been poor, with series defeats against New Zealand and South Africa. They will need to improve significantly against Australia if they want to reach their third WTC final. Before that, India must also deal with tough away series in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

In the previous WTC cycle, South Africa finished with 69.44% and Australia with 67.54%. If India win seven and lose two of their remaining Tests, they will finish on 62.96%, while eight wins and one loss would take them to 68.52%. This means India have very little room for mistakes in the rest of their WTC campaign.

The upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka will be a crucial test for India's WTC ambitions. With the team looking to bounce back from recent defeats, Gill's leadership and the team's performance will be under scrutiny.

The success of the Indian team in the WTC will depend on their ability to win consistently and improve their overall performance. With the series against Sri Lanka and Australia looming, India will need to be at the top of their game if they want to achieve their goal of playing in the WTC final.

In conclusion, India's captain Shubman Gill has set his sights on the WTC final, and the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka is a crucial step towards achieving that goal. With the team looking to improve their performance and qualify for the WTC final, the next few months will be exciting for Indian cricket fans.