India must improve Test performances, says Ajit Agarkar as team eyes WTC revival

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 6 (ANI): India's struggles in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 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)