Hyderabad, Jan 28 (UNI) Ollie Pope missed on his double century but turned the tables in favor of England by setting a 231-run target for India in the fourth innings of the first Test being played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Sunday.
Pope’s efforts to help England post 420 runs in the second innings were Popish, considering his side at one stage were 163 for 5, still needing 28 runs to overtake India’s 190 runs lead in the first innings.
Jasprit Bumrah continued Day 4 from where he had left last evening. He had overnight batsman Rehan Ahmad gobbled up by Srikar Bharat behind the stumps for a dogged 28 off 53 balls.
Tom Hartley shattered the hopes of India to run through the England innings, but the debutant had a crack to essay an unbending partnership with Pope.
India delayed opting for a new ball in the hope of striking two more wickets with the old ball that was reversing.
As the breakthrough did not come around, captain Rohit Sharma called for the new ball, but the script toed Pope and Hartley’s line of thought. They brought England’s lead of 200 at a brisk pace.
India came up with a ruse to snuff out Hartley with a barrage of short-pitch deliveries, but the tall English lad accepted the challenge, and at one stage smacked Mohammad Siraj with ease.
Hartley also executed pre-meditated reverse sweeps off Ravichandran Ashwin, showing the authority with which he was batting in Pope’s company.
Ashwin wreaked vengeance just ahead of the lunch break by cleaning up the left-handed Hartley, but not before he added an excellent 80-run stand for the eighth wicket with Pope.
Ravindra Jadeja and Bumrah did not take much time to fold England’s innings as they conceded just a run after Hartley’s fall.
Jadeja quickly had Mark Wood nick to Bharat behind the stumps, and Bumrah bowled Pope with a slower delivery while trying to play a reverse scoop.
Brief scores
England 246 & 420 (Ollie Pope 196, Ben Duckett 47; Jasprit Bumrah 4-41, Ravichandran Ashwin 3-126) lead India 436 (Ravindra Jadeja 87, KL Rahul 86; Joe Root 4/79) by 230 runs
