Can Ollie Pope's Unbeaten Century Propel England Against India?

Leeds, June 22 (NationPress) Top-order batsman Ollie Pope hit an unbeaten century, marking his ninth in Test cricket, as England concluded Day Two of the first Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at Headingley, on a score of 209/3, trailing India by 262 runs after 49 overs.

On a day when India seemed set for a massive total, having posted 430/3 due to Shubman Gill's magnificent 147 and Rishabh Pant's remarkable 134—his seventh Test century—things took a turn. Following Gill's dismissal, India lost their last seven wickets for a mere 41 runs, ending their innings at 471 runs in 113 overs. A sudden rain delay pushed back the start of England's innings, where they faced a potent Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed 3-45. However, Pope and Ben Duckett forged a 122-run partnership for the second wicket, stabilizing England's innings.

Duckett was dismissed for 62, but Pope demonstrated his resilience, scoring his ninth Test century with 13 boundaries, as he walked off unbeaten, positioning England favorably. The Indian bowling attack, lacking Bumrah's intensity, struggled to make significant inroads.

In the opening over of England's innings, with ominous clouds overhead, Bumrah struck early, dismissing Zak Crawley with an impressive delivery that generated movement. But England gradually built momentum through the efforts of Pope and Duckett, who effectively countered the pressure put forth by Bumrah.

After 17 overs, Ravindra Jadeja was introduced as a spin option and soon showcased good turn and bounce. Duckett's aggressive sweep off Jadeja not only secured his 14th Test fifty but also marked the culmination of their century partnership with Pope, just before tea.

Pope commenced the final session with a well-timed cut shot, reaching his half-century off 64 balls. However, Bumrah struck again, dismissing Duckett, while Pope survived a close call on 60 after an attempted steer off Bumrah resulted in a dropped catch.

Siraj improved his bowling lengths and had Joe Root lbw for seven, but Root successfully overturned the decision on review. Displaying growing confidence, Pope struck boundaries against Jadeja, Prasidh, and Shardul Thakur, ultimately reaching his century off 125 balls.

In a dramatic moment, Root fell to Bumrah, marking the tenth time the pacer has dismissed him in Tests. As the lunch break approached, Bumrah's attempt to dismiss Harry Brook was thwarted by an overstep, granting England a moment of relief.

As England left the field with renewed energy, they aimed to capitalize on their momentum heading into Day Three, while India would need a stronger bowling performance beyond Bumrah to regain control.

Earlier, Josh Tongue led the English bowlers with a commendable 4-86, wrapping up India’s innings at 471. Despite three of their top five batters scoring centuries, India would have preferred a total exceeding 500.

Resuming at 395/3, India had a promising first session, reaching 53 runs before drinks, but quickly lost key wickets, including both Gill and Pant.

Gill kicked off Day Two with a stunning cover drive, while Pant's aggressive play kept the scoreboard ticking, leading to his seventh Test century, celebrated with a signature somersault—a skill developed during his gymnastics training in childhood. Pant’s achievement surpassed MS Dhoni for the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper.

Pant's audacious innings featured a partnership of 209 runs with Gill, before the latter was dismissed by Bashir. Pant continued to dominate, scoring boundaries and sixes before England's bowlers began to find their rhythm, leading to a flurry of wickets.

In a swift conclusion to India's innings, Tongue’s bowling proved decisive, effectively wrapping up the innings in under half an hour.

Brief scores:

India 471 in 113 overs (Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134; Ben Stokes 4-66, Josh Tongue 4-86) lead England 209/3 in 49 overs (Ollie Pope 100 not out, Ben Duckett 62; Jasprit Bumrah 3-48) by 262 runs