Chennai win helps India's WTC push as Sri Lanka make move in Galle

Dubai: India took a 1-0 lead in the two-game Test series against Bangladesh with an assertive display in Chennai, while Sri Lanka claimed important points to challenge teams at the top of the table.

India have continued their strong run in the World Test Championship 2025 cycle with a 280-run victory over Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka brushed off a late New Zealand in Galle to help their move towards a potential spot in the competition final at Lord's next year.

The two results have led to shifts in the race for the two final spots, with India tightening their grip on top spot, and Sri Lanka leapfrogging their current opponents into third spot.

Calmly accounting for the Tigers in Chennai, India's win in Chennai and the 12 World Test Championship points reasserts their status at the top of the table, moving to a percentage of 71.67%, extending their lead on Australia in second (62.50%).

Bangladesh, who had jumped to the fourth position following an exceptional 2-0 win against Pakistan, drop to sixth place place (point percentage of 39.29%) behind Sri Lanka and England after the defeat, an ICC report said.

Bangladesh started the fourth day at 158/4 in pursuit of India’s 515, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan at the crease. The duo resisted briefly, though India’s spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja wiped claimed the remaining six wickets for just 40 runs.

Ashwin won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant hundred in the first innings and six-for in the second innings, and levelled Shane Warne on the all-time Test five-wicket haul list.

Moving to third on the WTC25 table after victory in Galle, Sri Lanka stand the best chance of challenging the 2023 World Test Championship finalists for a spot in the 2025 final.

The 63-run victory over the Black Caps in Galle was their fourth in eight matches, moving them an even 50% of possible World Test Championship points, with a best possible percentage of 69.23% for Dhananjaya de Silva's men.

That figure would likely be enough for a chance of lifting the mace in next year's finale at Lord's, though the side would need to beat New Zealand once more, claim a clean sweep of South Africa, and beat Australia 2-0 at home in a series early next year.

De Silva's decision to not take the extra half an hour on day four to bowl out New Zealand was vindicated, freshening up the attack and removing Rachin Ravindra early on the fifth morning.

Ravindra could only add one to his overnight score (dismissed for 92), brought undone by the guile of Prabath Jayasuriya, and the members of the Kiwi tail were unable to reach the target of 275.

Jayasuriya ended with an innings five-wicket haul after claiming William O'Rourke for a duck to end the match, ending with 9/204 for the encounter to claim Player of the Match honours.