India find themselves in an unusual territory ahead of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai. Never in the last 24 years have India been whitewashed in a Test series at home. But New Zealand, with a series-clinching 2-0 lead, have a chance to repeat that history.
Defeats in Bengaluru and Pune exposed the chinks in Indian batting and have threatened India's top spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) table. Only a top-two finish in the WTC table at the end of the 2023-25 cycle will fetch India a third consecutive qualification in the final.
