India, Aug. 26 -- Former head coach Rahul Dravid says India have slightly "fallen behind" in the race to qualify for the World Test Championship final and even though the performance in Sri Lanka right now is encouraging, it would not be easy for the team to put it past New Zealand during an upcoming series.

Currently placed fifth in the points table, two-time finalists India are locked in an uphill battle to win the majority of their remaining matches in the World Test Championship 2025-2027 and move up.

With top two teams slated to play in the final next year, India, who are ranked fifth behind Bangladesh, will play two away Tests in New Zealand before taking on Australia in a five-Test series at home from January 2027. India will als...