Published 16:51 IST, February 9th 2021
England claim top spot on WTC table, India drop down to 4th spot post defeat in Chennai
Courtesy of the 227-run win in Chennai against India, England have kept their hopes alive of making it to the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's
Led by Joe Root's mammoth double century, England defeated India in the first Test at Chepauk to climb to the top of the World Test Championship table on Tuesday. Courtesy of the 227-run win in Chennai, England have kept their hopes alive of making it to the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's with New Zealand having booked their place in the finale. Root & Co. leapt over Australia and New Zealand and dethroned India with 70.2% points in their bag.
India have been reduced to the fourth spot on the table with 68.3%. At present, Australia have 69.2% points and sit on the third position in the World Test Championship table. The Men in Blue can still seal the finale berth if they manage to win the 4-match Test series either by defeating England with a result of 2-1 or 3-1. On the other hand, England can beat Kohli & Co. to the finale spot by winning the Test series with either 3-0, 3-1 or 4-0 result.
For Australia to travel to Lord's, the India-England series will have to land in England's favour with either of the following results: 1-0, 2-0, 2-1. Australia can also find themselves locking horns with New Zealand, if the England-India Test series ends in a 1-1 or 2-2 draw.
England take lead at Chepauk
Defeating India by 227-runs in the first Test of the 4-match series, England took the lead as skipper Joe Root registered a double hundred in his 100th Test to put his team in the winning position. The Men in Blue fought hard to remain in the game, even as skipper Virat Kohli held one end strong on the final day aiming for a draw. However, the experience of Jimmy Anderson came into play as he rattled the Indian batsmen to take the visitors home.
Skipper Kohli waged a lone battle as India kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Nonetheless, once he was cleaned up by Stokes for a fighting 72, it was only a matter of time before the English bowlers ran through Team India's lower-order as they were bundled out for just 192. Thus, the visitors ended up drawing first blood in the four-match series by registering a convincing 227-run win. England Test skipper Joe Root was adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding double-century (218) in the first innings.
"I don't think we put enough pressure on them with the ball in the first half. Collectively as a bowling unit, fast bowlers and Ash, were good in the first innings but we also needed to contain a few more runs and create pressure. Having said that, it was a slow wicket and not helping the bowlers which made it easy for the batsmen to rotate strike and get into the game," Kohli said after the loss.
Updated 16:51 IST, February 9th 2021