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IND vs ENG, 1st Test | Ollie Pope Leads ENG Fightback To Derail India's Charge On Day 3

image-lrvyjqgqOllie Pope celebrating his century against IND on Day 3 (BCCI)

Brief Scores: England (1st innings): 246 all out (64.3 overs) [Ben Stokes: 70 (88), Jonny Bairstow: 37 (58); Ravichandran Ashwin 3/68 (21), Ravindra Jadeja 3/88 (18)] & England (2nd innings): 316-6 (77 overs) [Ollie Pope: 148* (208), Ben Duckett: 47 (52); Jasprit Bumrah 2/29 (12), Ravichandran Ashwin 2/93 (21)] lead India (1st innings): 436 all out (121 overs) [Ravindra Jadeja: 87 (180), KL Rahul: 86 (123); Joe Root 4/79 (29), Rehan Ahmed 2/105 (24)] by 126 runs.

The Englishmen strongly rebelled in the final session of Day 3 and ultimately forced their way back into the first Test of their five-match series against India at Hyderabad.

Root and Rehan Ahmed mop up India within opening hour

Resuming Day 3 at a commendable 421-7, hosts India managed to add just 15 more runs to their overnight score from the 11 overs they faced in the morning session. Ravindra Jadeja scored six additional runs in the day before he was trapped in front by Joe Root. The English part-time spinner also shattered Jasprit Bumrah’s furniture off the very first ball of his innings before Mohammed Siraj foiled his hat-trick attempt.

Root eventually finished with figures of 4-79, while Rehan Ahmed’s second wicket of the innings enveloped the Indian total at 436.

Ollie Pope takes England ahead with sublime ton

England, up against a 190-run first innings deficit, lost opener Zak Crawley for a near run-a-ball 31 at the hands of Ravichandran Ashwin. Crawley’s opening partner Ben Duckett subsequently shared 68 runs from just 10 overs with number three Ollie Pope before the left-hander was knocked over by Indian speed demon Jasprit Bumrah.

England’s 113-1 soon became 163-5 as Bumrah also trapped senior Englishman Joe Root cheaply in the innings. Ravindra Jadeja accounted for England’s second-innings specialist Jonny Bairstow with a sharp turn while Ashwin broke through visiting captain Ben Stokes’ resolute defence.

Fortunately for the visitors, vice-captain Ollie Pope remained defiant in his approach amidst tumbling wickets, and smeared 112 runs for the sixth-wicket with stumper Ben Foakes. The partnership effectively took England past India’s 190-run advantage, before they extended their lead by 126 runs until the close of play.

Pope himself pumped out 148 unbeaten runs from just 208 balls, and will now resume his side’s second-innings charge alongside tailender Rehan Ahmed (16*) on Day 4.