Ollie Pope transformed the match into a battleground with an astonishing 196-run knock against India in the second innings to steer England to a commanding total at lunch on Day 4 of the first Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Ollie Pope's commendable batting effort led England, who were struggling at 163/5, to a total of 420 runs and hand India a 231-run target. Pope's stunning knock set a new record for the highest score by an English player in a second innings against India on Indian soil.
Pope's remarkable innings of 196 runs from 278 deliveries, featuring 21 boundaries, injected crucial momentum into England's innings, which began the day at 316/6. This left the Indian bowlers struggling to find their rhythm and impact the game. India now face a challenging task of pursuing 231 runs in their second innings to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. However, the Indian bowling attack showed weaknesses, frequently missing their line and length, which allowed the English batters to score easily.
Notably, Pope's performance in this innings surpassed his entire run tally in India prior to this match. Before this game, he had amassed just 153 runs in 8 Test innings in India, averaging 24.
Pope, however, appeared unaffected by India's bowling issues and continued to score freely, helping England cross the 400-run threshold in their second innings. This marked only the second time since 2012 that a visiting team has scored over 400 runs in India, the previous instance being Alastair Cook's England in Ahmedabad.
Pope was well supported by Tom Hartley, who scored 35 runs. Together, they added 80 runs in 106 balls, skillfully employing sweeps and reverse sweeps to great effect, thereby baffling the Indian bowlers.
A sharp delivery from Ashwin brought an end to the partnership between Pope and Hartley, with Hartley being bowled by a ball that stayed low. Following this, India quickly took a couple of wickets, including the key dismissal of Pope, ending England's batting effort. Pope's wicket, as he attempted a reverse scoop, was claimed by Bumrah, the standout among the Indian bowlers.
Earlier, Bumrah had given India an early advantage by dismissing Rehan Ahmed, who, despite a disciplined approach, fell to a delivery outside off stump. Ahmed had been instrumental in building England's innings, contributing 64 runs for the seventh wicket and significantly extending their lead.
England's batting performance was markedly different from India's earlier struggles, where they had lost three wickets for just 15 runs in 54 minutes. In a similar time frame, England managed to add 72 runs in 16 overs, losing only one wicket.
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