Zimbabwe Loses Test Series to New Zealand, Yet Remains Scoreless in WTC Rankings; Explanation Provided
New Zealand's cricket team is gearing up for their first home series against the West Indies in December 2025, but their recent victory over Zimbabwe in the second Test has no impact on the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table.
The victory, which was New Zealand's third-biggest in Test cricket, saw Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Henry Nicholls score 165, 153, and 150 runs respectively. The standout performer, however, was Zak Foulkes, who claimed his first Test five-for and the best match figures by a New Zealander on Test debut. Foulkes' match figures in the second Test were 9 wickets for 75 runs.
Despite the impressive victory, New Zealand did not receive any points in the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship because Zimbabwe is not one of the top nine Test-ranked teams. Only the top nine teams contribute to a team's WTC points, and matches involving non-top-nine teams do not affect the WTC points table.
The second Test was played in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and saw Zimbabwe bowled out for 117 runs in their second innings. The series score now stands at 2-0 in favor of New Zealand.
Meanwhile, in the WTC 2025-27 points table, Australia leads with 12 points and 100%, followed by Sri Lanka and India. South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, and England are also in the points table.
The ICC has discussed ideas for a two-tier Test system in the future, which could alter the structure and possibly involve promotion/relegation. However, this is under consideration for implementation after the current 2025-27 WTC cycle and has not yet been applied.
As Zimbabwe looks to improve its Test cricket game, the focus shifts to the upcoming series against the West Indies, where New Zealand will aim to continue their winning streak.
In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table, India, who are aiming to improve their Test cricket game, hold a significant position alongside Sri Lanka and Australia. On the other hand, Bollywood, the Indian film industry, might find cricket matches interesting, given that India's cricket team is currently engaged in a series against the West Indies in December 2025.
