The audacity of Pope gives England hope
India v England, 27th January 2024.
England 246 all out and 316–6 (leading by 126 runs)
India 436 all out
“When we started today, we didn’t know we’d have a tomorrow. Because of Ollie Pope, we have a tomorrow”. So enthused ex England captain Kevin Pietersen at the end of yet another enthralling day of Test Match cricket and another of those beautiful reasons for why I adore this grandest of all games so. I’ve written extensively on my love for the extended form of this game in my previous two books (“Ashes to Ashes” and “The Spirit of Cricket” — available on amazon.com) and that following the wise guidance of my parents and particularly a much missed Mum who ADORED Test Match cricket, I’ve been a passionate advocate for the game for over four decades now. It’s one of the many reasons why I’m penning these thoughts now, immediately after the end of play, half awake and desperate for the sleep that will evade me anyway, bubbling with endless thoughts on a performance that may, just may, have dragged England into a competitive position after having their backs firmly and desperately to the wall. Memories of my dear old Mum who was in her element with the day ahead and just a long day of cricket, the crack of leather on willow, stretching out before her. How a team can be so outplayed as to be staring at an almost certain defeat after losing every session of the match so far yet “win” two of today’s three sessions and from nowhere, they may, just may, have a punchers chance of throwing a knock-out blow tomorrow.
All of which is for the future. For now we must return to the present or indeed the very recent past if you will, and a superlative performance from a 26 year old from Chelsea in London named Ollie Pope, a 19 year old kid from Nottingham, a pugnacious fighter from Bromley in Kent, the unorthodox batting style of a man grasping Test Match cricket by its lapels as he approaches his 30th birthday, the infectious enthusiasm of a fast bowler known universally and affectionately as “Woody”, a soon to be legend of the game and ex England captain who started this day so magnificently, and all led by Ben Stokes who seemingly refuses to give up on lost causes.
Even a cause as dire as this one.
Act One: Positive steps forward from the visitors
As already alluded to, I ended yesterday’s journal stating that England had their backs firmly to the wall and it was easy to see why I’d made such an obvious claim. India resumed this morning on 421–7 and with both a commanding lead of 175 runs on 1st innings and two batsmen, Ravi Jadeja and Axar Patel, 81 and 35 not out respectively and both closing in on their individual batting milestones. Veterans Mark Wood and Joe Root opened the bowling for an England team desperate for early wickets and whilst this wasn’t immediately achieved, they bowled tight, stifling overs that saw the Indian batsmen score just 6 runs in the opening 30 minutes of play. As the day’s crowd steadily filed into the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, joining England’s travelling troop of supporters affectionately known around the world as “The Barmy Army”, as it was Saturday and as is tradition, fancy dress was the order of the day for some, with one fine fellow deciding that a day of Test Match cricket in Hyderabad called for him attending dressed as Charlie Chaplin! It was clearly his “Favourite Pastime” and there was zero chance of him being “Caught in the Rain” in Hyderabad, but shall I continue with films from 110 years ago or shall we just get to the action on the field of play?
India would add just a further 9 total runs this morning in the next 20 minutes of play to be bowled all out for 436 and a commanding lead on 1st innings of 190 runs. Joe Root’s “Golden Arm” was once more to the fore, snagging the vital wicket of Ravi Jadeja an unlucky 13 runs from a Test Match century before clean bowling Jasprit Bumrah with his next delivery to set up a hat-trick that sadly, never materialised. It was left to 19 year old Rehan Ahmed to repeat the clean bowling trick shortly thereafter on Axar Patel who fell 6 runs short of his half-century, but both batsmen performed magnificently last evening to set up this morning’s final all out total and intimidating lead on 1st innings.
The hour and 10 minutes that remained of the opening session was all England once more and only blighted by the dismissal of Zak Crawley for a well played and authoritative run-a-ball 31 and he was only undone by a beautifully spinning delivery from Ravi Ashwin that snagged the edge of his bat and into the celebratory hands of his skipper Rohit Sharma. At 45–1 it was a vital and highly acclaimed first England wicket and with the visitors still trailing by a mammoth 145 runs, India were in the box seat and scenting further wickets before the Lunch Break. But England added a further 44 runs without alarm or loss of any further wickets to enter the break for lunch on 89–1, with Ben Duckett racing along at a run-a-ball 38 not out and Ollie Pope, looking far more assured and comfortable than his skittish 1st innings batting display, 16 not out.
England trailed India on 1st innings at the break by 101 runs.
Act Two: “It’s Boom Boom Bumrah!”
Without wishing to over-egg the cricketing pudding, the second session of the day epitomised why I adore this game so. England, fighting their way back into the Test Match and finally winning a session of play, are then rocked back on their heels by a fightback from the home team and a quite scintillating bowling spell from Jasprit Bumrah. The 30 year old from Ahmedabad has a bowling style all of his own and one you’ll never find in a coaching manual, but once again he roared in to great effect and, after snagging the prized wickets of Ben Duckett and Joe Root, he quite literally roared!
The next 15 or so minutes was pure sporting theatre and magnificent to witness live, albeit from the other side of the world.
Shortly after the Lunch Break, Bumrah wrapped Ben Duckett on his pads playing back to a vicious swinging delivery and despite pleading with the umpire to give the England batsman out LBW (Leg Before Wicket), he was denied. As he was by his captain Rohit Sharma who refused his plea to refer the decision to DRS (Decision Review System) or more plainly, the TV umpire. Bumrah was visibly enraged as he watched the replay on the stadium’s big screen as it demonstrated what we all saw watching live: had the decision been reviewed, Duckett would have been out as, without the aid of his pads, Bumrah’s delivery would’ve crashed into his leg stump.
Mere minutes later the fast bowler had his revenge as the England batsman had a rather ugly swipe at a delivery he should have defended and instead, and in yet another of those pleasing moments and images only cricket can provide, Bumrah ripped Duckett’s off stump clean out of the ground, sending it cartwheeling through the air behind and, in a pleasure I’ll never tire of, leaving his middle and leg stumps perfectly untouched and one solitary bail still attached. Bumrah roared his approval and mere minutes later once more, he trapped the most vital England wicket of all, Joe Root, this time rightly given out LBW and even a referral to the TV umpire couldn’t save the Yorkshireman.
117–3 became 140–4 with the departure of fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow for just 10 and soon after, captain Ben Stokes returned to the pavilion aghast at being clean bowled by Ravi Ashwin and with his team now deep in the mire on 163–5, they still trailed a now resurgent India by 27 runs on 1st innings and the end was seemingly nigh.
With chaos unfolding all around him, Ollie Pope had quietly and comfortably reached his 50 from just 54 balls received and now joined by Ben Foakes, they reached the Tea Break with their wickets intact, Pope 68 not out and their team still trailing by 18 runs.
Act Three: Pope the century maker
Following this morning’s defiance and this afternoon’s mini-collapse I feared a quick ending to the Test Match in the day’s final session and thankfully, my fears were misplaced. Although he’d lose his wicket to a “grubber” of a delivery from Axar Patel that simply didn’t bounce, Ben Foakes batted magnificently, taking his pre Tea total of 2 runs to a final 34 in a century partnership with Ollie Pope that frustratingly was ended just 12 runs later. Rehan Ahmed then filled in and belied his tender 19 years brilliantly to end the day 16 not out but suffice to say, the honours and plaudits today fall to the man from Chelsea, Ollie Pope.
The 26 year old England vice-captain plundered 17 boundary 4’s as he took his pre Tea total of 68 from 95 balls received to an eventual century from 154 balls to end the day on an arguably game saving and possibly game winning not out total of 148 from 208 balls received. He gave just one chance in an otherwise faultless display when he received a “life” on 110 when Axar Patel dropped a simple if high catch at the “Backward Point” position. From here he accumulated a further and possibly crucial 38 runs brilliantly as he continued to exhibit every shot in the book, old and new, ancient and modern, cultured and newly created: sweeping, paddle sweeping, reverse sweeping and even reverse scooping boundary 4’s as an ever infuriated India team could only watch on in exasperation and utter exhaustion.
Well batted kid!
So from worrying about today and whether we had a cricketing tomorrow we do, and I couldn’t be more pleased or indeed excited. Sleep will continue to evade me until later but the shrill of the alarm at 3.30am will awaken me from my slumbers to this current position:
England, against all the odds, have a lead of 126.
This is by no means a winning lead, or even the prospect of one.
But they have 4 wickets in hand.
Ollie Pope is 148 not out.
Rehan Ahmed is 16 not out.
And if England can eke out another 75 runs, we’ll have a hell of a finish on our hands.
India need 4 wickets and the early dismissal of Ollie Pope is vital.
They had no desire or wish to bat again in this Test Match or on this wicket.
The wicket isn’t crumbling but there’s spin and big variable bounce.
Chasing 175–200 runs in the 4th inning will not be easy.
But can England take 10 wickets in a day to win the Test Match?
Time will tell.
It always does.
See you in the morning!
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Peace to you all.