Ollie Pope’s struggle for form in the ongoing India vs England series persisted during the first innings of the fifth Test. Despite an impressive 196 in the second innings of the first Test, Pope has faced challenges, failing to score a half-century in the series. In the latest encounter, Ollie Pope managed just 11 runs before falling victim to Kuldeep Yadav’s deceptive wrong one.
Ollie Pope, looking confident initially, succumbed to a lapse in concentration just before lunch. Charging down the pitch, he completely misjudged the spin on Kuldeep’s delivery, and the ball ended up in the gloves of Dhruv Jurel, who efficiently dislodged the stumps.
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Ben Stokes, winning the toss, chose to bat first in the final Test. England’s openers faced a challenging start, and Ben Duckett’s dismissal in the covers, brilliantly caught by Shubman Gill, added early pressure. Ollie Pope, coming in at the crease, showed promise as he gathered 11 runs by manoeuvring the ball into the gaps.
However, his lapse in judgment in the final over before lunch cost him his wicket. Kuldeep Yadav, who had earlier dismissed Duckett, cleverly deceived Pope with a well-disguised wrong one. Pope, attempting to counter Kuldeep’s spin, danced down the track, but the spinner’s skilful delivery spun away, leaving Pope stranded.
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Dhruv Jurel completed the dismissal by removing the bails, leaving Pope out of position. This turn of events underscores Pope’s ongoing struggle to replicate the success of his impressive 196 in the series opener, leaving England in a challenging position as they aim to bounce back in the final Test.
India (Playing XI) – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
England (Playing XI) – Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wk), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, James Anderson
