WTC 2023-25 Standings After SL vs NZ 2nd Test: Sri Lanka Edged Closer to Second Spot, New Zealand Drop Down

Sri Lanka consolidated their position in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 standings after an innings and 154 runs win over New Zealand in the second Test at Galle International Stadium in Galle on Sunday (September 29).

First Test heroes Prabath Jayasuriya and Kamindu Mendis continued to fire alongside a debutants heroics as Dhananjaya de Silva's Sri Lanka side defeated Tim Southee-led New Zealand to white-wash the two-match series.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka rode on centuries from Kamindu (182*), Kusal Mendis (106*) and Dinesh Chandimal (116) to past a mammoth first innings score of 602/5 declared.

The visitors looked listless in their response, folding for just 88 after Jayasuriya (6 for 42) claimed his eighth fifer at the venue in Galle, and Nishan Peiris announced his arrival with figures of 3 for 33. The hosts enforced follow-on and it was a familar story for the Kiwis.

In their second innings, the Blackcaps lost their first wicket early, but fought back through a quartet of fifties from Devon Conway (61), Tom Blundell (60), Glenn Phillips (78) and Mitchell Santner (67). However, that only saw them reach 360 in their second innings.

As a result of the innings victory in Galle, Sri Lanka remained on third spot in the WTC standings and stand the best chance of challenging the 2023 World Test Championship finalists for a spot in the 2025 final.

With five wins in nine matches, Sri Lanka moved to 55.56 WTC points, with a best possible percentage of 69.23% for Dhananjaya de Silva's men. The Blackcaps dropped to seventh following their fifth defeat in eight Tests.

Earlier, India had stregnthened their top spot on the World Test Championship points table, and moved ever closer to sealing their third successive WTC final berth with a victory over Bangladesh in Chennai, which saw their win percentage improve to 71.67.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, dropped to sixth on the standings following the defeat that saw their win-loss percentage reduce to 39.29. The two teams are in action in Kanpur for the second Test, which looks likely to end in a draw. Here is a look at the latest WTC standings:

WTC 2023-25 Standings After SL vs NZ 2nd Test on September 29, 2024

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Drawn	Win Percent	Points
India	10	7	2	1	71.67	86
Australia	12	8	3	1	62.50	90
Sri Lanka	9	5	4	0	55.56	60
England	16	8	7	1	42.19	81
Bangladesh	7	3	4	0	39.29	33
South Africa	6	2	3	1	38.89	28
New Zealand	8	3	5	0	37.50	36
Pakistan	7	2	5	0	19.05	16
West Indies	9	1	6	2	18.52	20

New Zealand can improve their position next month, but face a monumental task of doing that as they face India in their own backyard. India will face New Zealand in a home series in October.

Pakistan also will play hosts to England in three Tests, starting next month. Here is a look at the Test matches of the WTC 2023-25 cycle scheduled for the month of October: