India, a consistent finalist, also has an advantageous path, making them strong contenders. While other top teams face tougher fixtures, a late series against New Zealand could disrupt Pakistan’s campaign, but the possibility remains.
Bengaluru: India and Pakistan may square off in a Test match for the first time in nearly two decades, and it could happen in the World Test Championship final of 2027. The mere suggestion sounds like fantasy booking, the kind of “what if” scenario fans debate over tea but never actually expect to materialise. India are legitimate favorites, and Pakistan’s cricket team has been a punchline lately. Their track record in the World Test Championship speaks for itself – sixth, seventh, and ninth place finishes across three cycles. They’re the team that makes you check the scorecard twice because surely they couldn’t have collapsed that badly again. Nobody expects Pakistan to reach the final because their team has been a mess. But dig into the numbers, examine the fixtures, and suddenly the unthinkable starts looking uncomfortably plausible.
Why Pakistan May Reach WTC 2027 Finals
While other teams are sweating over brutal itineraries, Pakistan drew the golden ticket. Their path to the final looks less like a gauntlet and more like a guided tour of cricket’s softer destinations. Pakistan’s secret weapon isn’t their batting lineup, or even their pace attack. It’s their spinners who would be able to weave magic on the dustbowls they’re serving up at home. After years of preparing green tops to suit their quicks, they’ve done a complete 180, turning their pitches into spin paradises. And it’s working.
They drew the test series with South Africa in what was supposed to be their toughest home fixture. The South African team has been ranked fourth, while Pakistan slipped to the fifth spot upon the conclusion of the series. Besides South Africa, Pakistan face New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Here’s where it gets interesting. Four of Pakistan’s six away Tests are against Bangladesh and the West Indies – teams with a combined win-loss ratio that would make a club cricketer blush. Pakistan has never lost a Test match in Bangladesh, and they haven’t dropped a series in the Caribbean in over two decades. That’s potentially four away wins already in the bank before we even talk about England, where Pakistan’s recent record is surprisingly competitive.
Team India Factor
India have been WTC mainstays:Two finals, one third-place finish, and a win-loss ratio second only to Australia. Their current cycle schedule is almost perfectly tailored to their strengths: nine of their remaining Tests are in Asia, where they’re borderline unbeatable. South Africa haven’t won a series in India since 2010. Australia’s last series victory there dates back to 2004. Add in the crucial points already secured in England (a 2-2 draw) and the West Indies (clean sweep), and India’s path to the final looks like a highway. Australia must navigate five Tests in India plus the Ashes vs England. South Africa’s entire away leg is in Asia, and faces the toughest contenders back home. The team with the worst WTC track record might reach the final simply because they have the easiest path to get there. While the powerhouses cannibalize each other in brutal series after brutal series, Pakistan could quietly accumulate points against cricket’s weakest links.
New Zealand Can Spoil The Party
Pakistan’s path looks easy on paper, but there’s a New Zealand-shaped landmine waiting in March 2027. The Kiwis have already demonstrated in India that they can be “more than a handful” in spin-friendly conditions. They will be in Islamabad potentially at the most critical juncture of Pakistan’s campaign. By then, Pakistan might have already banked their “easy” wins against Bangladesh and the West Indies. They might be sitting pretty, calculating their path to the final. And that’s exactly when New Zealand could strike. One slip-up in those two Tests, and suddenly all those comfortable victories don’t seem like enough. The margin for error vanishes completely. New Zealand are the team that triggered India’s 2023-24 collapse. They traveled to India and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent cricket history, beating the hosts at home and derailing their entire WTC campaign. Pakistan, with their history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, should be terrified of this precedent.
What If?
An India-Pakistan WTC final would be seismic. The last Test between these nations was in 2007-08. An entire generation has grown up without witnessing this rivalry in the format that matters most. The geopolitical tensions, the frozen bilateral ties, and the years of anticipation would culminate on cricket’s grandest stage. The recent Asia Cup controversy following the Pahalgam terror attack could be left behind, and a new dawn of proper cricketing rivalry can begin. India would enter as overwhelming favorites. Their team is better, more consistent, and battle-tested. But in a one-off final? With the pressure of a billion-plus people watching? With history, politics, and pride all colliding? That’s not a cricket match. That’s a powder keg. The wait is two years away.