Has loss to South Africa dented India's chances at World Test Championship?

India's 7-wicket loss to South Africa in the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town not only put an end to their hopes of winning a Test series against the Proteas away from home but also hampered their progress in the World Test Championship (WTC).

After losing the three-match series to South Africa 1-2 on Friday, India dropped to fifth place in the new World T20 points table. South Africa, on the other hand, has risen to fourth place as a result of this critical win. In the second cycle of the WTC, India has played nine Tests, winning four, losing three, and drawing two. Despite having won the most Tests of any side so far in the WTC cycle, India ranks fifth because of a lower PCT (percentage of points won) than Sri Lanka, Australia, Pakistan, and South Africa.

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India's PCT has declined from 55.21 to 49.07. India has also dropped three points as a result of the slow over-rate. After two wins in two matches, Sri Lanka is at the top of the rankings. South Africa's PCT has increased to 66.66 after victories in the last two Tests against India. With a PCT of 83.33, Australia, which are leading the Ashes 3-0 against England, is in second place. With a PCT of 75.00, Pakistan is ranked third.

At the end of the cycle, the top two teams will qualify for the WTC final. India had previously faced New Zealand in the final, which the latter had won. After the initial edition, ICC made a number of improvements to the WTC points system. According to the new rules, the percentage of points won (PCT) determines the rankings, not the number of Test wins or series triumphs.

It was done to address the difference in the number of Tests each country is scheduled to play in the World Cup. Each side is slated to play six series - three at home and three away - but the ICC devised PCT to account for the fact that the number of Tests in each series varies. With the new system, aside can gain 12 points for a Test win, six points for a tie, and four points each for a draw. Every time a team falls short of the required over-rate, a point is deducted.

Here's how PCT is calculated:

So far, India has played nine Tests in the WTC. They could have gained 108 (9*12) WTC points if they had won all of them, but they only won four and drew two, bringing their total to 56. They have docked three points because they were three overs short of the required over-rate. India presently has 53 WTC points. As a result, their PCT is 49.07, which determines their final standing.

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