Aakash Chopra Analyzes India's Challenges in Upcoming Test Series Against Sri Lanka

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra shares his insights on India's upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, highlighting the challenges the team faces in the World Test Championship standings. With India currently in a precarious position, a series loss could significantly impact their chances of qualifying for the finals. Chopra discusses the implications of potential outcomes and the tough road ahead for India, including upcoming matches in New Zealand and against Australia. This analysis sheds light on the critical nature of the upcoming series and its potential consequences for the Indian cricket team.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 4, 2026, 23:52 IST

India's Upcoming Test Series Against Sri Lanka

New Delhi, August 4: Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has shared his insights regarding Team India's prospects in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, particularly in light of their upcoming matches against Sri Lanka. He noted that India finds itself in a challenging situation, as a series victory for Sri Lanka could propel them into the top four of the standings.

The Indian team is set to visit Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series commencing on August 15. Currently, India occupies the fifth position in the WTC standings, having achieved four victories and suffered four defeats in nine matches, resulting in a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, is positioned sixth, with one win, one loss, and two draws, leading to a points percentage of 41.67.

In a discussion on his YouTube channel, Aakash emphasized that India's points percentage could decline further if they lose the series, while Sri Lanka would be in contention for the finals if they manage a clean sweep. He stated, “If we lose 2-0, our percentage will drop to 39, and Sri Lanka will rise to 61, placing them at No. 4. A 2-0 victory for Sri Lanka would give them a realistic chance to advance; otherwise, it will be a near miss for them.”

Chopra also mentioned that if India secures a clean sweep, they could improve their standing slightly, but a drawn series would not be beneficial. “Winning 2-0 would elevate us to 57.58 percentage points. However, if we draw 1-1, we won’t gain anything, remaining at 48.48 while Sri Lanka would be at 44.44, keeping the standings unchanged,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Aakash pointed out the challenges India faces with an away Test series in New Zealand (two Tests from November to December) and a home series against Australia (five matches from January to March 2027). He cautioned that losing even one match could significantly impact their points. “The upcoming series in New Zealand will be tough, and losing a match there could cost us 50 percentage points. Following that, we have five matches against Australia at home, which will also be challenging,” he added.

India's historical performance in New Zealand has been poor, with the team not winning a Test series there since 2008/09 under MS Dhoni, and only achieving two wins overall. Additionally, they have struggled against Australia at home, having faced whitewashes by New Zealand and South Africa in consecutive years, which has affected their record against SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) nations. The defeat to South Africa last year marked their first loss at home to the Proteas since 1999/00, with Temba Bavuma leading his team to an ICC World Test Championship title win over Australia and a series victory in India within the same year.

In Sri Lanka, India may also encounter difficulties against spin, as they have previously struggled against spinners during home series losses to New Zealand and South Africa.