India suffered a shocking defeat in the first Test, with England making a remarkable turnaround to clinch the series opener in Hyderabad by 28 runs. Ollie Pope, with his outstanding 196-run marathon, and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who broke India's back with his sensational seven-wicket haul, remained the architect of England's stunning victory. England's captain Ben Stokes hailed the victory as the greatest achievement of his captaincy tenure, considering England's 190-run deficit after the first innings and the subsequent dramatic turnaround on Days 3 and 4.
For India, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, particularly after dominating with bat and ball during the first two days, only to squander their advantage. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma critiqued the top-order batters, including himself, for their lack of discipline in the second innings and pointed out the ineffective bowling in the latter half when Pope dominated.
India jolted in WTC 2023-2025 points table
The 28-run defeat against England cost India dearly as they dropped to fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 points table, with their PCT falling from 54.16 to 43.33. Despite their loss, Australia managed to retain the top spot in the table, although their PCT decreased from 61.11 to 55. India, however, was not as fortunate, falling behind South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, who now occupy the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th spots with a PCT of 50.00.
The second Test between India and England is set to start on Friday, February 2, in Vizag. The Indian team aims to even the series and keep their hopes alive for the WTC final.
| POS | TEAM | PCT (%) | POINTS | W | L | D | PEN |
| 1 | AUSTRALIA | 55.00 | 66 | 6 | 3 | 1 | -10 |
| 2 | SOUTH AFRICA | 50.00 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | NEW ZEALAND | 50.00 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | BANGLADESH | 50.00 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | INDIA | 43.33 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | -2 |
| 6 | PAKISTAN | 36.66 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | -2 |
| 7 | WEST INDIES | 33.33 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | ENGLAND | 29.16 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -19 |
| 9 | SRI LANKA | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
This marked the first occasion that India suffered a defeat in a Test match despite securing a lead of over 100 runs in the first innings, with the lead nearly reaching 200 runs (190). Additionally, this was only the fourth time India has been beaten in a home Test since 2013.
England securing a 1-0 lead in India isn't unprecedented, as they achieved the same feat on their previous tour in 2021. However, this particular victory, which Ben Stokes has hailed as one of the finest during his captaincy, is considered to be of greater significance.
Under the rules of the ICC World Test Championship for 2023-2025, teams earn 12 points for a win, 4 points for a draw, and 6 points in case of a tie. Meanwhile, for slow over-rates, teams will be penalised by losing one championship point for each over they fall short. The ranking of teams will be based on the percentage of points they have won.
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