In a captivating display of skill and determination, England’s Ollie Pope orchestrated a brilliant century in the second innings against India during the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Pope’s resilient performance stood out as a lone beacon for England, especially when other batters faced challenges in putting up substantial scores.
The century marked a significant milestone for Pope, being his fifth in Test cricket and notably, his first in the second innings of a match. Achieving this feat in 154 balls, Pope’s innings included 10 boundaries, showcasing a combination of finesse and attacking play. The 26-year-old, playing his 39th Test since his debut in 2018, has accumulated over 2,000 runs, boasting a personal best of 205.
This century against India holds particular importance for Pope, making him only the second batter since 2018 to achieve this feat in the second innings against the Asian giants. The list includes Dimuth Karunaratne’s 107 in Bengaluru in 2022 and now Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 100 in Hyderabad in 2024.
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At the break in Hyderabad, England stood at 172-5, having started the second innings trailing by 190 runs after India posted a formidable 436 in the morning session. The dynamic duo of Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin played pivotal roles, each picking up two wickets.
Pope’s heroics came in the face of adversity, with the English team grappling with challenges posed by the Indian bowlers. While Zak Crawley fell early to Ashwin’s off-spin, England found some respite as Ben Duckett counterattacked with assertive sweeps, helping the team reach 89-1 at lunch.
However, Bumrah, with a sensational post-lunch spell, altered the course of the game. He dismissed Duckett for 47, just after the batsman survived a close lbw call. Bumrah continued his brilliance by sending Joe Root back to the pavilion for a mere two runs, igniting the crowd’s excitement.
Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin added to England’s woes, taking the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, respectively. The Indian bowlers displayed a collective effort to curtail England’s progress.
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The day started with India resuming their first innings at 421-7, with Jadeja and Axar Patel cautiously navigating the early overs. England’s skipper, Root, showcased his all-around prowess by dismissing Jadeja and cleaning up Bumrah in consecutive deliveries, narrowly missing a hat-trick. Rehan Ahmed concluded India’s innings by cleaning up Axar on 44.
As Ollie Pope’s innings earned accolades from fans and experts alike, it added a compelling chapter to the ongoing Test match drama in Hyderabad.
YES, POPEY! ๐ ๐ฏ
A HUGE century when we needed it most! ๐
Match Centre: https://t.co/s4XwqqpNlL
๐ฎ๐ณ #INDvENG ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | @OPope32 pic.twitter.com/vxB8CPsoJ4
โ England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 27, 2024
Ollie Pope’s 5th Test hundred! ๐#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/JWbnsWZdeG
โ The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) January 27, 2024
A SUBLIME ๐ฏ FOR OLLIE POPE IN INDIA!!!!
Watch #INDvENG LIVE on TNT Sports and @discoveryplusuk ๐บ pic.twitter.com/HuxbORR7SF
โ England’s Barmy Army ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐บ (@TheBarmyArmy) January 27, 2024
He has shown tremendous temperament in tough Indian conditions
Well played Pope…
โ Praneet Samaiya (@praneetsamaiya) January 27, 2024
Ollie Pope take a bow!
A magnificent effort to keep England alive in this test.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/1EqepzX05eโ Hamza Taqveem (@taqveem_hamza) January 27, 2024
What a player, Ollie Pope. ๐๐๐#OlliePope #INDvENG #INDvsENG #ENGvIND #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/tLWMfSQhmy
โ Saabir Zafar (@Saabir_Saabu01) January 27, 2024