Ollie Pope closed day three of the first Test on 148 not out from 208 deliveries; It is his fifth Test hundred; England now have a lead of 126 runs; follow England's five-Test series in India across Sky Sports' digital platforms with live blogs and reports
Sunday 28 January 2024 03:26, UK
A strong India at home is a force to be reckoned with and with England stalwarts unable to make their mark in Hyderabad, it was the turn of Ollie Pope to step to the fore with what is surely his best Test innings to date.
All hope looked lost for England as seamer Jasprit Bumrah and the Indian spin attack began to fire, Joe Root (2), Jonny Bairstow (10) and Ben Stokes (6) all barely making a dent as England fell to 163-5 in their second innings and still trailed by 29.
An innings defeat looked more than likely.
Pope's nervous first innings weighed on many people's minds; the England No 3 had fallen for just one from 11 deliveries, poking left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja to slip. The question was lingering as to whether Pope could be the one to deliver. He answered that question and then some.
His fifth Test hundred came in a composed and mature fashion from 154 deliveries, Pope growing into his innings as England tried their best to build a lead that would give them a fighting chance. 17 fours saw him close the day on 148 not out from 208 deliveries.
The performance also came in the context of this Test being Pope's first game back since June and there was at least some talk of him not playing before Harry Brook went home for personal reasons.
With such a backdrop, Pope provided an innings that gave England hope and one that will be remembered by his team-mates for a long time to come - Root calling it a "masterclass" on batting in the subcontinent.
Root told TNT Sports: "Pope has put on an absolute masterclass on how to score runs in this part of the world. To be able to consistently make the right decision under pressure was fantastic.
"He's coming back from injury and got us back in the game. He knew the field and played well, even when it was reverse swinging."
Root added: "I'm speechless really, it's one of the best knocks I've ever seen. I've seen a lot of cricket, I've played and batted out there in the middle with a lot of brilliant players and to witness that was really special.
"The maturity he showed, the smarts, the way he manoeuvred the field, it was unbelievable. You sit here very emotional being part of it, but I'm sure I'll sit back and still be impressed and wowed by the way he's played.
"As an old-timer in this team, it's great to see these young lads coming in, really putting their stamp on things and leading from the front."
After reaching his century, Pope immediately played with more freedom. He was dropped by Axar Patel on 110 but then instead of reacting defensively, followed it up with a boundary.
He built a 112-run stand for the sixth wicket with the controlled Ben Foakes, who made 34; the pair bringing a sense of security and calm and frustrating India.
Is a lead of 126 runs definitely match-winning? No. But with Pope still at the crease, it feels like there is something in this Test to play for.
"It has been an absolute joy to sit back and watch Pope go about his business," former England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan said on commentary. "Accumulating runs all around the ground and he has been very busy at the crease.
"He has been the key man in this England resurgence. The influence of his skipper [Ben Stokes] and the mindset has definitely had a positive influence on Pope's game."
"Pope came in at a time when England needed him to stand up and he did. He started jittery but that doesn't matter," added Kevin Pietersen. "A brilliant innings, one of composure, maturity and one that he will remember for a very long time.
Follow text commentary of day four of the first Test between India and England live on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App from 3.45am on Sunday (4am first ball).
