Ollie Pope’s Hundred Ignites English Hopes After India Take Control of First Test

Before the English team arrived in India , all the talk centred around their ‘Bazzball’ brand of cricket. Their aggressive intent though was thoroughly tested as they chose to bat after winning the toss in the first Test of the 5-match series. England were shot out for just 246 and at the end of day 2 India had plied on a neat 175 lead with 3 wickets in hand. But the English side trusted their method and came all guns blazing on day 3 and made the day their own after bundling India out for a lead of 190 and then taking a 126 run lead of their own. While every English batter was free flowing in strokeplay, the day truly belonged to Ollie Pope, who is still unbeaten on 148 and a shining beacon for England in their quest for a win.

India started day 3 with their noses firmly in front. They appeared to have batted England out of the contest, setting the stage for what could potentially be the final day of the Test. A lacklustre performance by England with the bat and then with the ball had put them far behind in the Test. But it was different on day 3, as they stifled the Indian lefties, Jadeja and Axar, not allowing them easy runs and once their partnership was broken, took the remaining 2 wickets without an addition of a run.

Joe Root dismissed Jadeja LBW with the lead at 190 runs, and then bowled Bumrah off the next delivery. In the next over Axar was bowled by Rehan Ahmed to a ball that stayed low and turned in. But it was a substantial lead already and few imagined that England would be able to take the game beyond a couple of sessions. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett initiated England’s positive start with aggressive sweeps against Indian spinners.

After a solid start and the score reading 113 for 1, Bumrah disrupted the proceedings with his terrific spell of reverse swing. He caught Duckett on the crease with a ball that swung in and his stumps went cartwheeling. Bumrah’s pivotal spell after lunch was a massive moment in the game and he dismissed Joe Root as well in the very next over. Despite the slow turn that the pitch offered, Bumrah emerged as the pick of the bowlers on day three.

As the innings progressed, Jonny Bairstow’s astute tactics countered Bumrah’s threat, adapting his stance and reacting to variations effectively. However, India found a glimmer of hope when Jadeja turned one away and then from the same length pushed a straighter one that bamboozled Bairstow. He was bowled off a straighter one that Bairstow left only to see the ball strike off stump!

Post-tea, England’s scoring slowed down as India’s spinners applied pressure. Ravichandran Ashwin’s strategic changes of length exposed England’s vulnerability, leading to a crucial wicket of Ben Stokes. Ashwin was at his best as he tossed one up and drew Stokes into a forward defence and the ball spun sharply to rattle his off stump. At the time, England were still trailing by 27 runs and the game seemed to be swinging in India’s favour

However, Ollie Pope’s resilient and emphatic performance in the final session turned the tide back in England’s favour. Pope’s mastery of the reversesweep and innovative strokes frustrated the Indian bowlers, taking him to a well-deserved century. Despite a late wicket of Ben Foakes by Axar Patel, England ended the day with a lead of significance.

Earlier, in the first innings, the spinner dominated as the ball spun fast and with bounce. Bumrah took 2 wickets but rest all went to the spinners. The salvation for England came in the form of Ben Stokes, whose brilliant knock of 70 runs from 88 balls, along with crucial partnerships with the lower-order batters, propelled England to a decent total. Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, then ‘Bazzballed’ England with attacking batting. Contrary to expectations of a survival-oriented approach due to the turning pitch, they aggressively scored at a rate of more than 6 runs per over.

India continued to build with strong partnerships throughout their innings. K.L. Rahul once again showed his class in his well-crafted 86. Jadeja and Rahul ensured India got a big lead but unfortunately couldn’t complete their centuries. Jadeja got out for 87 after a brilliant 8th wicket partnership with Axar.

Now, on day four, India remains hopeful of limiting England’s lead. India’s potent spin attack might pose challenges for England to stretch their lead further. The turnaround, though, irrespective of who wins, introduces a captivating element to the series, one that could have a bearing on the rest of the series!

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Siddhaarth Mahan The writer is a specialist on Sports and Cinema who works as an actor in the Hindi film industry