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The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad witnessed a captivating turn of events on Day 4 of the opening Test between India and England. What started as a game hanging in the balance took an unexpected twist, bringing the eventual outcome of the match in favour of the visitors. Tom Hartley‘s impressive seven-wicket haul put India on the back foot and sealed victory for visitors despite resilient performances from Ravichandran Ashwin and KS Bharat.
Ollie Pope’s herculean effort
Beginning the day at 316/6 with a lead of 126 runs, England aimed to build a substantial lead over India’s first-innings score. Hartley and Rehan Ahmed played crucial roles in guiding England to a formidable total of 430, setting a challenging target of 231 for India. Despite Ollie Pope falling short 🍃of a double century with a brilliant knock of 196, England looked poised to take control of the game.
India’s tough chase
In pursuit of the target, India’s batting lineup faced a stern test. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma provided a decent start, but Hartley’s quick wickets created a tough situation for the hosts, leaving them at 119-7. The Indian team found themselves in a precarious position, staring at the possibility of a defeat.
Ravichandran Ashwin and KS Bharat’s resilience
Amid the adversity, Ashwin and Bharat emerged as the saviors for India. Displaying grit and determination, they joined forces to resist the English bowling attack. Both Ashwin and Bharat added 28 runs each to the scoreboard. Their partnership not only stabilized the innings but also gave India a glimmer of hope. But unfortunately, Bharat and Ashwin couldn’t survive the day and fell victim to Hartley, which was followed by the final wicket as England registered a dramatic 28-run win.
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Tom Hartley’s impact
Hartley, with figures of 7/62, was the standout performer for England on Day 4. His crucial wickets destabilized the Indian batting lineup, putting the visitors in a strong position and eventually guiding them to victory. Additionally, Joe Root and Jack Leach also chipped in with a wicket each, contributing to England’s dominant performance with the ball.
With this win, England have now taken a lead (1-0) over India in the five-match series.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Wow wow wow!
TEST CRICKET YOU ABSOLUTE BEAUTY!
🩵— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24)
England showcased exceptional cricket to secure the win. Ollie Pope's triumph on Indian soil will echo for years. “I won’t complain even if the pitch turn from ball 1” this attitude made him dangerous.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan)
What a win. Pope simᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚply outstanding. But, the show of confidence Stokes showed in Tom Har🍨tley at the end of day 1 has paid dividends. Fantastic captaincy leading to an amazing victory
— Steven Finn (@finnysteve)
Only if the top order batsmen showed the kind of intent the lower order players are showing. Only if. And🅺 its not the first time we are going to talk about this.
— Ridhima Pathak (@PathakRidhima)
A stunning win for England in Hyderabad. Magnificent from Olli🦂e Pope and extraordinarily magical for Tommy Hartley. I’m thrilled to bits for the boys
— Graeme Swann (@Swannyg66)
BAZBALL BEAT INDIA BY 28 RUNS ..!!
— Haroon Mustafa (@Haroon_HMM)
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14)
Came to play test 𒁃cricket in India with zero experience (40 FC wkts at 37). Started poorly going for 0-51 in 6 in his 1st spell. But was backed his captain & picked 2 wkts, scored handy runs & now wins the match in the 4th innings with 7-62. What a debut for Tom Hartley!
— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16)
TOM HARTLEY – THE HERO FOR ENGLAND…!!!!
He picked 7 wickets haul and won the match for England – What a bowling performance by him!
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh)
Ollie Pope, the game changer 🔥 produ🔯ced one of the great innings in India ever played by an English batter to lead the fightback🌼!
The perfect start to the series ✅
🤎 |
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket)
BAZBALL!!!
Remember The Name…
Ben Stokes With His Army Arrived In INDIA 🔥💛💛….— SUMIT07💛 (@sumitcsk07)
Tꦬwo famous away test cricket wins on the same day. Kudos to West Indies and England.
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan)