India must improve Test performances, says Ajit Agarkar as team eyes WTC revival
Mumbai, June 6
India's struggles in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle have become a concern, with Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar admitting that the team needs to raise its standards if it hopes to climb the rankings and challenge for a place in the final.
Speaking during a press conference on Saturday after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced squads for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, as well as the squad for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Agarkar reflected on India's recent Test performances.
India are currently ranked third in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings with a 104 rating and 2,600 points overall. Australia leads the rankings with a rating of 131 and 3,138 points.
Addressing concerns over India's form in the longest format, Agarkar said, "I don't know whether worry is the right word, but we obviously need to improve our performances. I think England was good and the South Africa series probably didn't go to plan, but we still have a chance if we play well enough, and we know we've got the players, but we've got to play better."
The chief selector's comments come at a time when India are enduring an inconsistent WTC campaign. In the 2025-27 cycle, India are placed sixth in the standings, having registered four wins from nine matches.
Australia, runners-up in the previous edition, sit atop the table with seven victories from eight matches, while defending champions South Africa occupy third place with three wins in four outings.
Despite their position in the ICC rankings, India's WTC campaign remains under pressure, making upcoming Test assignments crucial for their hopes of reaching the championship final.
India were the runner-ups of the first two editions of WTC in 2021 and 2023. They lost the WTC 2021 final against New Zealand and the 2023 WTC Final against Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground in England.
India is currently involved in a one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. However, the fixture carries no significance for the WTC standings. Afghanistan is not among the nine participating nations in the championship, meaning the match is classified as a standalone bilateral Test and offers no WTC points to either side.
With several important Tests still to come in the cycle, India will be aiming for a turnaround to strengthen their position in the race for the WTC final.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm tired of hearing the same old statements. We have the talent but the mindset needs to change. Rohit and Kohli need to lead from the front in Tests. And our fast bowlers need to stay fit! 💪
The WTC format is tough but fair. We can't blame the system. We lost key moments in South Africa and England. We need to win those crunch situations. Agarkar should look at giving more chances to young players like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel in Tests. 👀
As an outsider, I think India's Test team is still very strong. But the problem is they've been too dependent on home conditions. Their bowling outside Asia has been average. Need to work on that.
I appreciate Agarkar being honest. Better than sugar-coating things. Our Test cricket needs a reset. The middle order collapses too often. And please, no more experiments with batting positions in Tests! 🙏
India has the best batting talent in the world, but they seem to lack the patience for Test cricket sometimes. The aggression from T20 is spilling over. Need to find that balance. Good luck to them for the rest of the cycle! 🏏
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