'Our Main Goal Is...': Shubman Gill Sets WTC Final Aim Ahead Of IND Vs SL Test Series | VIDEO

India are hopeful of playing the World Test Championship final next year and captain Shubman Gill believes the IND vs SL series starting on Friday is an important step in that direction. Following home series defeats to South Africa and New Zealand, India have slipped to 5th in the standings, leaving them with much work to do.

However, with Gill now more settled as captain, the goal remains to reach the summit clash at the Oval.

"Obviously, the main goal is to play the World Test Championship Final which is next year and we have got about nine tests. I think we have to win around six or seven, to be able to have a good chance at qualifying. So in terms of that, I think this is a very important series for us," Shubman Gill said in his press conference.

Unlike past tours often marred by rushed itineraries, India arrived early in Sri Lanka and had a productive warm-up fixture against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo. India won that three-day fixture with runs for Yashasvi Jaiswa, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal and Ravindra Jadeja.

India need 78 more points from their remaining nine Tests to reach 60%. This could mean six wins and two draws for 80 points, or seven wins for 84 points. Five of these Tests are against Australia, a team India have dominated 12-2 in their last five home series since 2008.

However, India's recent home form has been poor, with series defeats of 3-0 against New Zealand and 2-0 against South Africa. They will need to improve significantly against Australia if they want to reach their third WTC final. Before that, India must also deal with tough away series in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

In the previous WTC cycle, South Africa finished with 69.44% and Australia with 67.54%. If India win seven and lose two of their remaining Tests, they will finish on 62.96%, while eight wins and one loss would take them to 68.52%. This means India have very little room for mistakes in the rest of their WTC campaign.