Pope makes gutsy century before Bumrah late show

Motivational

22 Jul, 2025

Donald Morales

Pope makes 'terrific' century as England chase down India

First Rothesay Test, Headingley (day two of five)

India 471:Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101; Stokes 4-66, Tongue 4-86

England 209-3:Pope 100*, Duckett 62; Bumrah 3-48

Ollie Pope's gutsy century led England's resurgence only for Jasprit Bumrah to give India the crucial wicket of Joe Root late on day two of the first Test.

Pope, preferred to rising star Jacob Bethell at number three, repaid England's faith with 100 not out at Headingley.

The ball after Pope completed his century, Bumrah had Root caught at first slip to leave England 209-3 - all three wickets falling to the pace maestro.

England are 262 adrift of India's 471, a total that should have been much greater.

Despite Rishabh Pant completing a thrilling century, the tourists lost their last seven wickets for 41 runs. Captain Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue claimed four wickets apiece.

Under a brooding sky - play was held up for 40 minutes by rain - England were faced with the threat of Bumrah, who promptly had Zak Crawley caught at first slip.

Bumrah was electrifying, but England dug in through a stand of 122 between Ben Duckett and Pope. Duckett was dropped off Bumrah, Pope edged the same bowler through the slips.

Duckett fell for 62 to Bumrah's second spell, in which Pope was dropped at third slip by Yashasvi Jaiswal on 60.

In the evening sunshine, Root overturned being given lbw. Bumrah was summoned for one more spell. Though he could not prevent Pope's milestone, he snatched the bigger prize of Root.

Incredibly, there was still time for Harry Brook to be caught off a Bumrah no-ball. It was a heart-stopping end to an engrossing day.

'Play on, pontiff' - Pope repays England's faith

England v India: England weather Bumrah storm as game in the balance

Jaiswal drops Pope's outside edge at third slip

England were flattened on the opening day, forced to chase leather after gifting away the advantage of winning the toss.

Resuming on 359-3, India should have batted England out of the contest and then unleashed Bumrah late on.

Instead, the tourists offered a route back in with loose dismissals and dropped catches, and England, chiefly Pope, played well enough to grab the opportunity. Their batting was sensible, rather than cavalier, yet the hosts still scored in excess of four an over.

The conditions in which England had to start their innings, ideal for bowling, further highlighted just how good Friday had been for batting. When Bumrah had the ball, every delivery was an event and on another day he could have had an even bigger haul.

For all the talk of the toss and Bumrah's brilliance, England have a foothold in the match. On a sluggish pitch that looks full of runs, the home side may be vindicated in a fourth-innings chase.

For now India retain the upper hand through their lead and the presence of Bumrah. It could turn into a classic.

'Lovely shot!' - Pope hits consecutive fours to end Krishna over

Despite a modest record against India, the most important innings of Pope's Test career - 196 in Hyderabad - downed the same opponents 18 months ago.

Given the debate around his place, the match situation and the threat of Bumrah, this was the best hundred he has made at home. It was the Surrey man's third in successive home Tests and his ninth overall.

Pope's strength, scoring behind square on the off side, was also a vulnerability. He edged Bumrah between third slip and gully on 10, then should have been caught by Jaiswal.

Duckett had 15 when he cut Bumrah to point, the chance spilled by the usually reliable Ravindra Jadeja. Reprieved, Duckett drove through the covers and pulled anything fractionally short.

Batting looked much more straightforward when Bumrah was out of the attack and Duckett fell via an inside edge when he returned. His replacement, Root, was given leg before to Mohammed Siraj on seven, only for the review to show it was missing leg stump.

Bumrah began his third spell. Pope, on 99, inside edged a single and leapt in celebration. Headingley had barely settled when Root was drawn into a poke to first slip and departed for 28.

In the final over, Brook inexplicably tried to pull Bumrah and miscued to mid-wicket. He was saved by umpire Chris Gaffaney raising his arm to signal the third no-ball of the over.

Pant's long road back to recovery after car crash

Given their first-day platform, India had the opportunity to push for 550 or even more. England's anonymous first hour, when Stokes chose to delay his own entry into the attack, gave no clue of the collapse to come.

Pant, resuming on 65, planted off-spinner Shoaib Bashir for six. When he repeated the dose, this time with one hand off the bat, the left-hander reached his second Test ton since a life-threatening car crash in December 2022. Ever the showman, he celebrated with a somersault.

India were in complete control until captain Shubman Gill, who added 20 to move to 147, needlessly clipped Bashir to Tongue at deep mid-wicket. From then on, the visitors fell apart.

When Stokes finally brought himself on in the 12th over of the day, he again looked a threat with pace, a full length and swing. Karun Nair, in his first Test innings for eight years, drove to the flying Pope at short cover for a four-ball duck.

Tongue was poor on day one and ignored until 18 minutes before lunch on day two. He found the same movement as Stokes and got the crucial wicket. Pant, who should have been stumped by Jamie Smith off Bashir, was befuddled into leaving a Tongue in-swinger that trapped him lbw.

The clouds gathered, the floodlights came on and the lower-order did not resist. Shardul Thakur edged Stokes behind, Bumrah edged to second slip off Tongue, who then bowled both Jadeja and Prasidh Krishna. England took the last seven wickets in 68 balls.

'That's a big wicket!' - Tongue dismisses Pant for 134

Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special:"A really good day for England. There is so much spirit in this side under Stokes. They found a way with the ball and then saw off a tremendous spell from Bumrah.

"If they can keep Bumrah quiet, they win the series."

England opener Ben Duckett:"We are in a good spot and if we win the first session tomorrow we are really in this game.

"I had goosebumps when Pope got his 100. He is such a big part of the dressing room. I can't wait to give him a hug."

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook on TMS:"It was a horrible time to come in and bat but Pope played Bumrah with such control.

"He has looked far less frenetic recently and India need to look at how to bowl against him."

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