For the 500 or so England ­supporters in Hyderabad on Sunday this was close to a state of nirvana. After Australia’s defeat by West Indies 6,000 miles away at the Gabba came a second slice of history in which to revel, Ben Stokes and his tourists conjuring up a stunning comeback victory in the first Test against India.

This wasn’t meant to be. Faced with a daunting first‑innings deficit of 190 runs – India had never before lost at home with a three-figure advantage – and with a supposedly threadbare attack for the ­subcontinent, ­England were odds-on to go 1-0 down in this five-match series. But as the past two years have demonstrated, belief is a powerful thing; the fuel on which this team run under the unyielding Stokes.

Related: England’s Tom Hartley embraces ‘the Stokes way’ on day of the underdog | Simon Burnton

It certainly coursed through the veins of Ollie Pope in this match, the vice‑captain’s epic 196 turning 163 for five in the third innings into 420 all out, setting the hosts a target of 231 to win. And it was clearly to be found in Tom Hartley, the left-armer’s stellar figures of seven for 62 – the first seven-wicket haul by an England spinner on debut since Jim Laker in 1948 – inflicting just India’s fourth defeat on home soil in 11 years.

Not that anything was a given until 5.30pm local time – the final over of the extra half‑hour – when ­Mohammed Siraj shimmied down the track to Hartley, swung at fresh air, and Ben Foakes whipped off the bails. India, 202 all out, had fallen just 29 runs short of the target and, much like the result, the shot was a shock. Perhaps the No 11 was simply ­untrusting of his defence; perhaps he also enjoys a day off on the golf course.

Related: England dismantle India to win thrilling first Test on day four – live reaction

Stokes typically made his own ­telling contri­bution on the day, with a ­jaw-­dropping direct hit on the dive to run out the dangerous Ravindra Jadeja from wide mid-on and leave his fellow all-rounder hobbling off with a hamstring tweak. But perhaps his biggest impact was the husbandry of Hartley, incredibly the third spinner under his watch after Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed last winter to start his Test career with a five-wicket haul.

Rewind to the first evening and India had seemingly take a huge bite out of Hartley’s confidence, Yashasvi Jaiswal slogging his first ball in Test cricket for six to begin an initial avalanche of runs. But having survived that experience, the 6ft 4in Hartley walked tall second time around, slowing his pace, hitting his length and letting the surface do the work. With vital scores of 23 and 34, he can hold a bat too.

This was a heady old day of Test cricket, the kind that touches the soul and sees the format flex its muscles much like Kraigg Brathwaite in Brisbane. For an hour or so there were two matches by which to be gripped, the Barmy Army trumpeter signalling the end of the first by blasting out Rally ’Round the West Indies, David ­Rudder’s iconic anthem.

Out in the middle, having helped Pope to add 104 runs before lunch in a stand of 80, Hartley was twirling away to the tune of a precious three wickets. Pope was involved here also, those cat-like reflexes under the helmet snaring Jaiswal (15) and Shubman Gill (0) in the space of three balls before Rohit Sharma, primus inter pares in the absence of Virat Kohli, and dropped on five in Mark Wood’s opening over, was trapped for 39 lbw.

Related: Shamar Joseph soars to inspire first West Indies win in Australia since 1997

India rallied to 95 for three at tea, only to suffer a collapse of four for 24 at the start of a gripping final session. Hartley had the promoted Axar Patel caught and bowled for 17 here, Joe Root then soon trapping in-form KL Rahul lbw for 22. And after Stokes proved the success of his knee operation last month with his removal of Jadeja came a wicket for Jack Leach, England’s most experienced spinner battling through the pain of his own knee problem – a haematoma – and having Shreyas Iyer caught at slip.

From 119 for seven, India pushed back once more as Ravichandran ­Ashwin and KS Bharat gave rise to a possible heist – or at least a fifth day – with a stand of 56. But once ­Hartley produced a beauty to bowl Bharat neck and crop and wrap up his fifth came the two stumpings to shut things down, with Foakes, another sidekick to Pope during the third‑day recovery with the bat, a constant threat during a thrilling, frenzied finale.

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This team under Stokes and ­Brendon McCullum have given their supporters some memorable days along the way but this performance surely tops the lot, with the 190-run switcheroo representing the third-highest deficit ­England have overcome in history. Given one of those was Headingley in 1981, the other came during the 1894‑95 Ashes, and Stokes was ­leading such a green attack, it is pretty hard to conclude otherwise.

India will be hurting, no question, and smarting, too, both for their lack of ruthlessness with the bat in their first innings and the drop off Pope on 110 by Patel. Similarly they will be troubled by Jadeja’s fitness and the way their previously all-conquering attack was swept and reserve‑swept to distraction.

From where England were at the end of day two, this really is quite something.