Hyderabad/Visakhapatnam: The Rohit Sharma led India levelled the series in the second Test against England with a 106-run victory over England at the ACA-VDCA Dr Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Monday. Following a remarkable victory over Ben Stokes-led England, India has reclaimed the second spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings, closing the gap behind table-toppers Australia.
A rare setback in the opening Test in Hyderabad had previously seen India slip from second to fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings. However, their recent triumph has propelled them back up the rankings, pushing their point percentage to 52.77. The top half of the table remains highly competitive, with five teams separated by a mere 5 per cent in point percentage.
The Rahul Dravid coached side was under the pump coming into the second Test match and they delivered an outstanding performance. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played a pivotal role with the bat, scoring a double-century in the first innings and steering India to a total of 396. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional bowling display became the highlight of the match as he claimed a six-wicket haul, dismantling the English lineup and restricting them to 253.
Building on a 143-run lead, young batter Shubman Gill's century further strengthened India's position, setting a challenging target of 399 for England. England opener Zak Crawley was the lone warrior for the visitors in the fourth innings, standing out as the lone batter to surpass the 50-run mark.
Seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Bumrah picked up three wickets each to bundle out England for 292 and win the Test by 106 runs. The third match of the five Test series will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot from 15 February.
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