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The opening Test between India and England took an unexpected turn on Day 3, as the visitors made a brilliant comeback, thanks to the heroics of Ollie Pope. What seemed like a comfortable position for India after Day 2 turned into a thrilling contest, with England gaining a substantial lead courtesy of Pope’s exceptional performance that kept his side alive in the game.
India’s early hopes dashed
Resuming their innings at 421/7 on Day 3, India aimed to stretch their lead over England’s first innings score of 246. However, Joe Root‘s impressive bowling performance led to a quick wrap-up of the Indian innings at 436, giving England a challenging target of 190 runs to dissolve the lead.
England’s struggle and Ollie Pope’s resurgence
Facing a daunting task, England’s top-order batters put up a commendable fight, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett contributing 31 and 47 runs, respectively. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, putting the viไsitors in a tight spot. It was Pope who emerged as the saviour for England, playing a brilliant inning that not only dissolved the lead but also put his team in a fighting position.
Pope’s century and unconventional shots
Pope’s century (148*) was the highlight of the day, showcasing his class and determination. Scoring seventeen boundaries, Pope displayed a range of shots, including some brilliant unconventional reverse sweeps that kept the Indian bowlers on their toes. His partnership with Ben Foakes (34) further solidified England’s position before the wicketkeeper-batter fell victim to Axar Patel and the English side ended the day at a score of 316/6.
Also WATCH: Jasprit Bumrah bowls an absolute ja🤪ffa to send Ben Duckett’s off-stump for a walk in Hyderabad Test
Indian bowlers’ effort
Despite England’s resurgence, Indian bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja managed to bag three wickets each. Their efforts ensured that India remained 🌠in contention, setting the stage for an exciting and evenly poised encounter.
What lies ahead for both teams
The game is now on a knife’s edge, with England building a fighting lead and Pope unbeaten on the strike. The next phases of this captivating encounter promise an exciting battle between bat and ball.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Giving English 🏴 fans a ray of hope, 😍
Well made 💯 from Ollie Pope!👌💪— JioCinema (@JioCinema)
One of the Great test 100s from .. !! Another 100 runs and you just never know … .. Afternoo♏n 👍
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)
Pope BRILLIANT 💫
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24)
Ollie Pope has breathed fire in this game. Anything close to 200-230 would give enough confidence to English bowlers to go for a kill. Interesting Day 4 awaits us tomorrow.
Drop your predictions.— Ridhima Pathak (@PathakRidhima)
India look🌊ed tired 💖and lethargic by the end. A soft ball and a slow surface made batting easier and England took full advantage. They have played fearlessly
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)
Ollie Pope has scored a Test hundred in India ag🐽ainst Bumrah, Ashwin, Jadejaꦯ, Axar, Siraj. 🫡
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Clinical Ollie Pope! 💪
England’s vice-captain leads the fight🥂back on Day 3 in Hyderabad.
🤎 |
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket)
When Bumrah got Duckett, the visuals ar🎉e treat 🔥to watch.
Look at
1. Bumrah’s celebration & cro💞wd erupting in background. �🃏�
2. How far stump has gone! 🤩
— Kiran Khedeka₹ (@Kiran_Khedekar)
A hundred against Ireland.
A hundred against New Zealand.
A hundred in Pakistan.
A hundred in South Africa.
A hundred in India.Ollie Pope is proving himself everywhere…!!!
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)
A second innings 💯 against India in India is more than just difficult. Ollie Pope’s got a special one her♌e, augurs well for him and other Englisওh batters in the next few matches.
— Rahul Rawat (@rawatrahul9)
A SUBLIME 💯 FOR OLLIE POPE IN INDIA!!!!
Watch LIVE on TNT Sports and 📺
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy)
𝓀A brilliant hundred by Ollie Pope. He wi🎀ll never forget this hundred because very English batters have been able to score a hundred on Indian as fluently as he has.
Take a bow, Ollie.
— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket)
Take a bow Ollie Pope. It has been a gem of a knock…
— Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan)
When England wa꧑s in all sorts of 🔥trouble, Ollie Pope stood up and brought his team back into the match. A fine knock🫡
— Shoaib. (@ishoaibali1)