Ollie Pope and his latest century spearheaded England to 209-3 after India was bowled out for 471 on day two Saturday of the test series opener at Headingley.
Pope was 100 not out and England slashed its deficit to 262 runs and won the day.
Pope was far from perfect. He survived a testing opening spell from speedster Jasprit Bumrah in gloomy bowler-friendly conditions, narrowly avoided lbw on 34 and was dropped on 60.
He rode his luck to his ninth test hundred and second against India.
Bumrah was England’s greatest threat as expected and took all three home wickets: Zac Crawley in the first over; Ben Duckett on 62 to break his and Pope’s 122-run second-wicket partnership; and Joe Root on 28 to break his and Pope’s 80-run third-wicket partnership.
Bumrah would have had a fourth wicket in the day’s last over — Harry Brook on 0 — but he overstepped for the third time in the over. The world’s best fast bowler was also the victim of two dropped catches in the field.
England wasn’t expected to be batting soon after lunch.
India was 430-3 about half an hour before lunch with two century-makers well set, captain Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. A total of at least 550 was on the cards but the demise of Gill for 147 sparked a collapse of 41-7 in 68 balls bridging lunch.
Pant was also caught in the slump, out for 134 five minutes before lunch.
The main beneficiary was England pacer Josh Tongue with 4-8 in 17 balls.
“Watching Jasprit do his thing, he’s very good to watch,” Duckett told broadcaster Sky Sports. “But Brooky comes off not out, so happy days. It could have been a lot worse. We took 7-41, on another day they’re scoring 600-plus.
“We are in a good spot and if we win the first session tomorrow we are really in this game.”
England vs. Bumrah
England started batting with India anticipating wickets in the best bowling conditions of the match.
It clouded over after lunch, and began raining lightly, forcing the stadium lights on. Then the innings break was delayed for 40 minutes because of the drizzle.
Bumrah nicked off Crawley and got edges to squirt off Duckett and Pope without luck.
Duckett survived an lbw review on 1 and was dropped on 15 by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point.
Then the batters could breathe after Bumrah completed his dramatic first five-over spell.
Duckett and Pope milked singles on a pitch that offered little threat as the clouds broke up.
Duckett reached his 19th test fifty with his eighth boundary, swept behind square, but after tea his middle stump was smashed by Bumrah. Duckett made 62, including nine boundaries.
Streaky edges got Pope to his fifty then his hundred off 125 balls, a month after his 171 against Zimbabwe at Nottingham fought off white-ball star Jacob Bethell for the No. 3 batting spot.
“We know there is noise outside of the dressing room but to go and score 170 followed up by a hundred against this attack, there’s no better response (by Pope),” Duckett said. “I had goose bumps for him.”
Root’s scratchy stay was ended for the 10th time in tests by Bumrah. And Brook was fortunate in the last over, drawing a smile from Bumrah.
But it was that kind of bittersweet day for India.
India collapse
It started on 359-3 and would have sought a total to bat England out of the game.
Gill resumed on 127 and passed his test high score of 128 in 2023 against Australia at Ahmedabad. But the captain took a back seat to his vice captain Pant, who moved from 65 overnight into the 90s with entertaining unorthodox shots.
Pant has been out seven times in the 90s and inched to 99. The conservative option for the hundred was a single but in typical Pant fashion he smashed a six over cow corner. He celebrated his seventh test hundred and third against England with a somersault in his pads sans helmet.
When Gill, on 147 off 227 balls including 19 boundaries, toe-ended spinner Shoaib Bashir to a catch at deep midwicket, India fell in a heap.
Pant was trapped on the crease for 134 off 178 balls, including six sixes, and left to a standing ovation.
But Karun Nair’s eight-year wait to play again for India lasted only four balls, and Shardul Thakur scored only 1 in his first test in 18 months.
India’s innings was the first occasion in a test in England in which a side scored three centuries and three ducks.
Source: AP
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