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Following an impressive 106-run victory against England in Visakhapatnam Test, India reclaimed the second spot in ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings, closing the gap behind table-toppers Australia.
Earlier, India slipped to the fifth position from the second after a setback in the opening Test against England in Hyderabad. However, victory in the Visakhapatnam Test propelled India back up the rankings, gaining a point percentage to 52.77. The top half of the table remains highly competitive, with five sides split by a narrow margin. India were under pressure coming into the second Test match and they produced an outstanding performance to register a 106-run victory. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played a key role with the bat, scoring a double-century in the first innings and steering India to a total of 396. Jasprit Bumrah used his arsenal of "reverse swing" and "change-ups" to great effect in Vizag, with very little help from the pitch. Pacer's bowling display became another highlight of the match as he claimed a six-wicket haul in the first innings followed by another good spell in the second innings. Building on a 143-run lead, Shubman Gill's hundred boosted India's position, with England given a challenge of 399 runs in the second innings. For England, opener Zak Crawley was the lone warrior in the second innings, Ravichandran Ashwin and Bumrah picked up three wickets each to knock England over for 292. With the five-match series levelled at 1-1, the action now heads to Rajkot for the third Test, starting February 15. (ANI)
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