Ollie Pope narrowly missed out on a well deserved double century after being dismissed at 196 by Jasprit Bumrah on Day 4 of the first Test between England and India. Ollie Pope played an outstanding innings in the third innings against India, bravely taking on Indian bowlers over an extended period to rescue England from a precarious 140/4 to a commanding 430. Attempting a reverse lap against Bumrah, the 26-year-old miscalculated and was bowled, losing his off stump to the Indian fast bowler.
Bumrah claimed four wickets on a pitch favoring spinners and was responsible for halting Pope's innings just four runs shy of a potential second double-century in Test cricket. Pope's innings, comprising 196 runs from 278 balls with a strike rate of 70.5, featured 21 boundaries. He also played a key role in four partnerships exceeding fifty runs each.
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Pope's impressive innings has set the stage for a potential England comeback in the first Test against India. The visitors have set a target of 231 runs for India in the fourth innings to win the opening match of the five-Test series. After India's first-innings total of 436, leading to a 190-run advantage, England managed to score 420, largely thanks to Pope's 196-run effort.
Jasprit Bumrah shone with the ball, securing four wickets in this first Test against England. His match tally stands at six wickets, including two from the first innings. In the second innings, he dismissed Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed, and Ollie Pope. Notably, Bumrah is the sole fast bowler to claim wickets in this match, with both Mark Wood and Mohammed Siraj not taking any.
The match is taking place at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, where India needs 231 runs to clinch victory. Pope, who was out for just one run in the first innings, caught in the slips by Rohit Sharma off Ravindra Jadeja, redeemed himself with a 196-run knock in the second innings, guiding England to a defendable total.
Following this Test, the series moves to Vishakhapatnam for the second Test, beginning on February 2, Friday. The remaining Tests are scheduled in Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala. India, having not lost a home Test series since their 2012 defeat to England, has won 16 consecutive series at home and excelled in red-ball cricket in the subcontinent.
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