In the opening Test of the two-match series against New Zealand, Sri Lanka showed off a fantastic performance to take a 1-0 lead. The hosts turned in a fantastic effort on the third day of the match, even though they had given up a first innings advantage.
After the Lankans could only muster four more runs in their second innings to reach 309, nobody predicted that they would return to the game. It took the Kiwis just 275 runs to win, and they needed to chase the mark in slightly more than five sessions.
Nevertheless, a valiant effort was made as the combination of Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya toiled extremely hard, just as they had in the visitors’ opening innings, eliminating 15 of the visitors’ 20 batters to record a historic victory.
Sri Lanka and New Zealand WTC rankings
In the World Test Championship standings for the 2023–25 cycle, New Zealand was ranked higher than Sri Lanka before the first Test due to a higher points percentage (i.e., 50% vs. 42.86%).
After winning by 63 runs, the standings have shifted, with Sri Lanka currently in third place and New Zealand falling to fourth. Compared to the Blackcaps’ seven games, the Lankans have played one more.
Also Read: Despite Ravindra’s efforts, Sri Lanka wins thanks to Jayasuriya’s nine wickets
India, on the other hand, increased their supremacy after defeating Bangladesh by a massive 280 runs on the fourth day of the first of the two Test matches at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
World Test Championship Points Table (2023-2025):
| Pos. | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PCT (%) |
| 1 | India | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 86 | 71.67 |
| 2 | Australia | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 90 | 62.50 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 50.00 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 42.86 |
| 5 | England | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 81 | 42.19 |
| 6 | Bangladesh | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 39.29 |
| 7 | South Africa | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 38.89 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 19.05 |
| 9 | West Indies | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 18.52 |
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