India Strengthen Grip on Hyderabad Test Despite Tenacious Ollie Pope Century

Flashes of brilliance are supposed to be rare, innit?

Ask England and they will beg to differ. Because in a span of 18 overs, roughly 90 minutes of play, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin produced four brilliant moments on Day 3 of the 1st Test in Hyderabad that had England, who had dazzled through the first session of play, crash and burn with hopes of a revival in the series opener going up in smokes before Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes ensured England have something to bowl at on Day 4.

At the close of play on Day 3, England had taken a lead of 126 runs over India taking their second innings total to 316/6 with Pope batting on 148*, alongside Rehan Ahmed (16*).

India vs England 1st Test Day 3 Highlights

England had won the first session on day three claiming the last three Indian wickets in the opening one hour of play before ransacking 89 runs at a run rate of nearly six, losing only one wicket in the process.

India had to break the momentum and Rohit Sharma summoned upon his trusted lieutenant one over into the second session. The hallmark of a great player is their capacity to deliver at the most critical time and seal the deal. Jasprit Bumrah, with a spell of 5-0-17-2, did exactly that.

The first of that brilliant moment came in Bumrah’s 2nd over into the spell when he got a good length delivery to land on the seam – as he often does. But with the shine on the inside, the delivery jagged back in -reverse swing – breaching the defence of a confident Ben Duckett, the off-stump went for a jog.

Duckett was the enforcer for England in the first session reverse sweeping his way to 47 off just 52 deliveries. In that over itself, the diminutive left-hander had punched Bumrah off the back foot, that too on the up. The over before, Bumrah had undone Duckett with a reverse swing only for the on-field umpire to deny the LBW appeal and then by Srikar Bharat, who convinced Rohit not to take the review. Replays would show Duckett was gone for all the money.

An over later, the Indian vice-captain got the reverse going once again and this time it was the big fish – Joe Root – falling over for just two. All the momentum opener Zak Crawley and Duckett had managed to gain in the first session was gone.

Rohit then called upon his headhunters – the spinners. In the 28th over, Jadeja got one to grip and turn away from Jonny Bairstow. Next delivery, he did the same, Bairstow believed this one would also leave him and left it alone only to see the delivery come in with the arm and rattle the top of it off. Bairstow gone for 10. Ben Stokes then hoped to give company to Pope, who despite starting in a scratchy manner, had got the hang of the pitch, and was playing a fighting innings.

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England still had a chance to salvage the Test match. But Stokes had a torrid time in the middle. With the effect of the roller wearing off, the pitch started to misbehave, and every time Ashwin managed to land the ball on a good length area, Stokes was beaten either by turn and bounce or the dip and the grip. And eventually, it took a fuller delivery that first dipped, then gripped, then turned past Stokes’ bat to take out the offs stump. From 113/1 England slumped to 163/5, and it looked like India would wrap this one up today itself.

But Pope had other plans and in the company of a resolute Ben Foakes put on a fighting stand of 112 runs for the sixth wicket in the process helping England take a lead of 126 runs at the close of play on Day 3. Pope, coming off a lengthy shoulder injury layoff hustled and bustled his way to his fifth Test hundred denying Indian spinners for much of the final day session, while Foakes put a price on his wicket and nudged around for a while. It took a bit of luck for India to break the resolute stand when an Axar Patel delivery kept dangerously low and hit the base of the off stump. Foakes went back dejected for a well-made 34 off 81 balls.

But England can take heart from the fact they did not shut shop despite being put under the pump and went about scoring runs at a fair clip. Pope, for his 148*, took 208 deliveries only, hitting 17 fours.

Earlier, in the day India could only add 35 runs to their overnight score of 421/7 losing the remaining three wickets. Jadeja, in sight of a hundred, was timid in his approach and could score six more runs before being trapped in front by Joe Root. Root remained England’s best bowler ending up with 4/79. Axar was the last man to fall, cleaned up by Rehan Ahmed with a delivery that kept low. Axar made 77 and India were wrapped inside the first hour of play with a lead of 190 runs.

Brief Scores: England 316/6 (Ollie Pope 148*, Ben Duckett 47; Jasprit Bumrah 2/29) & 246 all out (Ben Stokes 70, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/68) lead India 436 all out (Ravindra Jadeja 87, KL Rahul 86; Joe Root 4/79) by 126 runs.