New Zealand's World Test Championship Hopes Take Hit After Defeat Against England

Christchurch: New Zealand's bid to claim a potential second World Test Championship title has taken a severe hit following a loss to Ben Stokes' England in the first Test at Christchurch.

The Black Caps had bolstered their hopes after India stunned Sri Lanka with a historic series sweep, but their prospects took a devastating turn-after a lengthy delay- as they suffered two back-to-back defeats against England.

New Zealand was penalized three points for a slow over-rate in the first Test, which saw them drop to fifth in the standings, having previously shared fourth place with Sri Lanka. The side's woes continued when they slumped to sixth in the standings after losing by 323 runs in the second Test in Wellington.

The two losses ended their hopes of qualifying for the final, despite securing a massive 423-run victory in the final Test. As a result, New Zealand remains fourth on the current WTC25 standings list, just one point behind India and five points adrift of table-topper Australia.

Sri Lanka's Slim Chances Take Further Blow

Colombo: Sri Lanka's chances of reaching the World Test Championship 25 (WTC25) Final have taken a significant hit after being eliminated by South Africa from playoff contention. The country was hopeful of qualification following their impressive series wins against England and New Zealand, but now finds itself with slim expectations.

Sri Lanka's recent returns have been highlighted by victories over Ben Stokes' England in the third Test away, as well as whitewashing the visiting Black Caps 2-0 at home. However, a crushing 2-0 series whitewash from South Africa has dealt a severe blow to their prospects, and they now find themselves struggling for qualification. In order to salvage any hopes, Sri Lanka requires several favorable results to overtake Australia and India in the standings list.