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Ollie Pope cracked his maiden Test century against India to spearhead England's effort to salvage the opening Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on the third day. After a modest performance in the first innings, England's vice captain Ollie Pope approached Day 3 with evident self-assurance. Masterfully utilising sweeps and reverse-sweeps, he navigated through Jasprit Bumrah's challenging bowling and showcased remarkable prowess against spin bowling. His century, a blend of persistence and craftsmanship, earned him a roaring standing ovation from the Hyderabad crowd, as he acknowledged the applause by removing his helmet and signaling towards the dressing room. Ollie Pope is still unscathed on 126 as of 68.3 overs.
England's second innings got off to a strong start, with openers Zak Crawley scoring 31 and Ben Duckett making 47, both effectively employing sweep shots, including the reverse sweep, to counter India's spin attack. However, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin managed to get Crawley out, caught by India's captain Rohit Sharma in the lone slip position.
Duckett and Pope played crucial roles in helping England surpass the 100-run mark in just 18 overs. Duckett had a close call at 39, narrowly escaping an lbw dismissal off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling, a decision India chose not to review. Replays later showed the ball would have hit the leg stump.
Bumrah returned in a subsequent over to claim Duckett's wicket, sending the off-stump flying and stirring the crowd with excitement. At this stage, the ball was beginning to reverse swing, making Bumrah particularly lethal. He also trapped Joe Root lbw, although Root, having taken 4-79 as a part-time spinner, unsuccessfully reviewed the decision and was out for just two runs.
India, who haven't lost a Test series at home since 2012, had earlier posted a formidable 436 in their first innings, gaining a substantial lead of 190 runs. Facing a daunting task, England refused to play defensively and stood at 243 for 5 in the last session, leading by 53 runs when Pope reached his century. Pope and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes then formed a partnership of over 70 runs, thwarting India's hopes of a three-day innings win.
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