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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 visitors 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 jaffa 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 ðŸ´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿ fans a ray of hope, ðŸ˜
Well made 💯 from Ollie Pope!👌💪— JioCinema (@JioCinema)
One of the Great test 100s from .. !! Another 100 runs and you just never know â€? .. Afternoon ðŸ‘
— 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 looked 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 against Bumrah, Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, Siraj. 🫡
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Clinical Ollie Pope! 💪
England’s vice-captain leads the fightback on Day 3 in Hyderabad.
🤎 |
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket)
When Bumrah got Duckett, the visuals are treat to watch.
Look at
1. Bumrah’s celebration & crowd erupting in background. 🤩
2. How far stump has gone! 🤩
— Kiran Khedekaâ‚?(@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 here, augurs well for him and other English 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 ðŸ´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿ðŸŽº (@TheBarmyArmy)
A brilliant hundred by Ollie Pope. He will 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 was in all sorts of trouble, Ollie Pope stood up and brought his team back into the match. A fine knock🫡
— Shoaib. (@daynnytt)