Brilliant Pope, Hartley lead England to 28-run win over India in 1st Test; visitors take 1-0 series lead

The momentum initiated by the blazing innings of Ollie Pope found its ideal culmination with the remarkable performance of debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, shaping England's memorable 28-run victory over India on the fourth day of the first Test held in Hyderabad on Sunday. India's pursuit of 231 turned grim when Hartley (7/62) wreaked havoc on India's top-order, triggering a collapse that culminated in India being dismissed for 202 in the last over of the day. With this victory, England now holds a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

India's loss in this home Test marks their fourth defeat since 2013, highlighting a significant downturn in their performance. Notably, India's approach during the chase stood in stark contrast to Pope's assertive handling of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, displaying a clear intent. While the spin twins have often proven lethal on traditional dustbowl pitches, their impact on surfaces like this one has been diminished. England's batting display in the second innings further tarnishes their reputation in this regard.

Earlier today, Pope's exceptional innings of 196 propelled England to a total of 420 in their second innings, providing them with a significant lead and optimistic prospects of putting pressure on India. However, England surpassed mere pressure and inflicted a substantial defeat upon the hosts.

In essence, this loss will resonate deeply within Indian cricket circles as they faltered against a 25-year-old newcomer from Lancashire, who had only three international matches under his belt, on a pitch devoid of any hidden challenges.

The pitch offered appreciable turn and variable bounce, challenges that this group of Indian batsmen could have overcome. However, the day saw three dismissals that highlighted the struggles of the Indian team – Shubman Gill (0), Yashasvi Jaiswal (15), and Shreyas Iyer (13) succumbed to their own shortcomings.

Jaiswal attempted a half-hearted charge against Hartley, prompting the spinner to adjust his length upon detecting the movement of the batsman. Ultimately, the left-hander could only manage to spoon a catch to Pope at silly point.

Gill followed suit just two balls later in the same over. He made a hard-handed, indecisive push at the ball after Hartley tossed one around the off-stump. Pope completed the catch at silly point.

Jack Leach, still not at 100 per cent after taking a blow on his knee while fielding, dealt another telling blow to India’s aspirations.

He produced a rather routine delivery that angled across the right-hander from around the stumps, and Shreyas merely poked the ball to Joe Root at first slip. It was a dismissal that reflected India’s struggles on the day.

India could have felt a greater blow with Iyer's dismissal, given his proficiency in handling spin.

In-form KL Rahul (22) seemed poised for another impactful innings, but Root trapped him on the back-foot as Rahul tried to whip the ball to the on-side.

Rahul opted for a review after the on-field umpire adjudged him leg before wicket, but the TV umpire upheld the decision.

Ravindra Jadeja attempted a quick single, challenging Ben Stokes, but the England captain hit the stumps directly with his throw, catching Jadeja well short of the crease.

However, the sight of him walking back with a clutched hamstring might just raise a bit of concern for the Indian camp.

Skipper Rohit Sharma seemed to be in good form, but Hartley's cunning delivery had him trapped in front of the wicket as the ball thudded onto his pads.

After losing three wickets in the post-lunch session, India slid further in the final stretch, losing wickets in quick succession before Ravichandran Ashwin (28) and KS Bharat (28) halted the slide temporarily with a 58-run partnership for the eighth wicket.

Their diligence served as a benchmark for some of their top-order colleagues, yet it only remained as such—a somber indication.

However, in terms of setting themselves up to potentially dictate the match's outcome, England, resuming from 321 for six, owe a debt of gratitude to Pope, who elevated his overnight 148 to 196.

When play concluded on Saturday, England held a commendable 126-run lead. Nonetheless, they required more to mount a challenge against India. Pope achieved just that with the assistance of equally determined Rehan Ahmed (28) and Hartley (34).

Partnering with Ahmed, Pope contributed 64 runs for the seventh wicket before crafting 80 runs off 106 deliveries alongside Hartley for the eighth wicket.

The morning session saw Bumrah providing India with the initial breakthrough as he dismissed Ahmed caught behind.

Ashwin's delivery, a shooter, disrupted the burgeoning alliance between Pope and Hartley, deceiving the latter's bat to send him back to the pavilion.

Pope eventually faced the last dismissal. Bumrah, the standout among Indian bowlers, concluded Pope's innings with a slower ball that dismantled the stumps as Pope attempted a reverse scoop.

Nevertheless, by that point, Pope had already altered the course of the Test match irreversibly.

Brief Scores:

England: 246 and 420 all out in 102.1 overs (Ollie Pope 196; Jasprit Bumrah 4/41).

India: 436 and 202 all out in 69.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 39; Tom Hartley 7/62).