Big upset in WTC points table. (Photo- PTI)
The first match of the two-match Test series between India and South Africa at the historic Eden Garden Stadium in Kolkata was very exciting, but in the end the host team had to face defeat by 30 runs. This defeat not only left India 0-1 behind in the series, but also gave a big blow to the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. This match was entirely in the name of the bowlers, where the 200-run mark was not touched in any innings. At the same time, in the last innings, South Africa won the match by showing an amazing game.
Big upset in WTC points table
The bowlers dominated from the beginning of the match. On the first day, Indian bowlers showed their strength and restricted South Africa’s first innings to just 159 runs. In reply, Team India added 189 runs in its first innings and gained a significant lead of 30 runs. Everything seemed to be in favor of India, but the South African batsmen played cautiously in the second innings and scored 155 runs. With this, a simple target of 124 runs was set for India to win. However, the Indian batting completely faltered in the second innings. The entire team collapsed for just 93 runs and lost the match by a margin of 30 runs.
This defeat directly impacted the WTC points table. India’s percentage score has now dropped to 54.17, due to which it has slipped from third to fourth position. Despite the strong position on the first day, the defeat caused a huge loss to the team’s points. On the other hand, South Africa increased its percentage to 66.67 with this victory, which became equal to Sri Lanka. At the same time, South Africa has won more matches than Sri Lanka, hence it jumped straight from fifth to second position.
Pakistan also suffered loss
Pakistan team also suffered a setback in this turmoil. She slipped from fourth to fifth place. Overall, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan lost one place each. On the other hand, Australia remains on top with 3 wins in 3 matches. At the same time, there is now pressure on India to equalize the two-match series by winning the second test. Another defeat can prove very costly for Team India.