India vs England, 1st Test: Debutant claims seven for 62 as India falter in chase, England win series opener by 28 runs
HYDERABAD: The first Test between India and England saw fortunes fluctuate wildly and the hunter become the hunted. The hosts will rue their profligacy with the ball on the last two days, though.
At 163 for five on the third day, England were in trouble. They turned it around with Ollie Pope’s splendid 196 (278b, 386min, 21×4). The vice-captain was the fulcrum around which England’s last five wickets contributed 257 to their 420 in the second stint. It was only the ninth instance of a visiting team scoring 400 plus in the second innings against India. Pope added 112 with Ben Foakes, 64 with his overnight partner Rehan Ahmed, and 80 with Tom Hartley as England worked themselves into a position of strength after starting the day at 316 for six.
The overnight lead of 126 swelled rapidly and became 230 as India’s pronounced tendency to defend allowed Pope and his partners to motor along at a fair clip. The England No. 3 started the day on 148 and England will look to build on his positive approach going forward in the series.
The portents were ominous. India needed 231 to win, and debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley made the most of a fourth-day track for excellent returns of seven for 62, the best figures for an England spinner on Test debut since 1945, to dismiss India for 202 and put England 1-0 up in the five Test series.
It was easy pickings too, as none of the Indian batters showed the felicity with which the England late order flourished. Unlike the Indian spinners, who gave plenty away, England clearly were better equipped, and skipper Ben Stokes’ reverse flick from mid-on to run out Ravindra Jadeja sounded India’s death knell.
Given a toehold by the top order’s dismal show, England kicked the door down and sealed the fate of the Test in the extra half hour requisitioned by Stokes towards the end of the day.
Yashasvi Jaiswal started the slide by giving Hartley the charge, and Shubman Gill went at the left-arm spinner with hard hands.
Player of the Match Pope, the last of the England batters to fall in the morning that saw England add 104 runs in 25.1 overs, was alert to the possibilities in the close cordon, and when skipper Rohit Sharma 39 (58b, 81min, 7×4) unsuccessfully reviewed an LBW verdict, India looked in trouble.
The tame dismissal of Axar Patel, promoted up the order, immediately after tea was taken at 95 for three, and Rahul’s unsuccessful review after he played back and was nailed by Root for 22 gave England the upper hand.
Shreyas Iyer did not last long, and the 57-run partnership for the eighth wicket between KS Bharat and R Ashwin only delayed the inevitable.
