Pope’s century powers England to 126-run lead over India

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HYDERABAD, India, Jan 27, (AP): Ollie Pope scored a hundred to help England storm back into the first test against India on Day 3 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Pope finished the day at 148 not out and put on three vital partnerships as England reached 316-6 in 77 overs in the second innings, taking a 126-run lead at stumps.

This was after India was bowled out for 436 in its reply to England’s 246 in the first innings. The hosts had taken a 190-run lead but it was wiped off nearly by the tea break.
Post-lunch, England’s game plan of playing reverse sweep against spin worked wonders. Pope and Ben Duckett extended their second-wicket partnership to 68 runs.
Their stand came off only 57 balls and unnerved the Indian camp, which brought on Jasprit Bumrah to counter with pace.

Bumrah got the ball reversing and bowled Duckett for 47 runs. He faced 52 balls, hitting seven fours in all.
The Indian speedster got a second wicket without delay, trapping Joe Root for just two runs as England was down to 117-3 in 21 overs.
There was a mini-partnership between Pope and Jonny Bairstow – worth 23 runs – before the latter was bowled shouldering arms to Ravindra Jadeja.
Despite that success, Jadeja went for runs through the day and finished with 1-101 in 26 overs, bowling only one maiden.

Ravichandran Ashwin also picked a wicket, bowling Ben Stokes (6) with a sharp off-spinner. England was suddenly five-down and went to tea at 172-5.
On resumption, Pope and Ben Foakes put on the most vital partnership of the innings for England. They put on 112 runs off 183 balls, with both batters looking to score at every opportunity, putting pressure back on the Indian spinners.

Pope had reached 50 off 54 balls in the previous session and marched on to his first second innings’ century off 154 balls. The second 50 runs was more sedate given that England lost a few more wickets, but the scoring rate picked up later on in the last session.
Pope was dropped on 110 off Jadeja, with Axar Patel putting down a regulation chance off yet another reverse sweep.

Patel made amends by bowling Foakes for 34 runs to provide a vital breakthrough for India. Pope, though, denied the hosts further, adding another 41 off 62 balls for an unbroken seventh wicket stand with Rehan Ahmed (16 not out).
It was only the fourth time – after Ken Barrington (1961), Mike Gatting (1984) and Jonathan Trott (2012) – an English batter scored a second innings’ hundred in India.

Earlier in the morning session, Joe Root took 4-79 as India crashed from overnight 421-7 to lose three wickets for 15 runs across 21 deliveries.
Jadeja was out for 87, missing out on his fourth test hundred, out lbw to Root who was denied a hat trick.
India’s lead was cut down to 101 runs as the English top order set a quick pace in its second innings to reach 89-1 off 15 overs at lunch.

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