Pope hits hundred as England fight back in first Test against India

Ollie Pope struck a ninth Test century as part of a stirring England fightback on day two of the first Test at Headingley, the hosts closing on 209-3 in reply to India’s first-innings 471.

After the touring side lost their final seven wickets for 41 runs, Pope (100no) at times quite literally weathered the storm of some incisive, hugely-skilful Jasprit Bumrah (3-48) spells under cloud-laden skies in Leeds to survive through to stumps, bringing up his ton off 125 balls.

Bumrah dismissed Zak Crawley (4) with a beauty to end his opening over, added Ben Duckett (62) – dragging one onto his stumps – after he and Pope shared in a 122-run partnership for the second wicket, and won his personal duel with Joe Root (28) late on.

Bumrah was threatening throughout, missing out on golden chances to add further to his haul as Duckett was dropped on 15 by Ravindra Jadeja at point, Pope was put down on 60 by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the slips and then he himself was guilty of overstepping when dismissing Harry Brook for a duck off a no-ball in the final over of the day.

Pant somersaults to sparkling century

Earlier, with India resuming the second morning on 359-3, England did brilliantly to bowl the visitors out for 471 as, after Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant’s 219-run fourth-wicket stand was finally ended, Ben Stokes (4-66) and Josh Tongue (4-86) combined to run through the lower order.

Pant (134) became India’s third centurion of their first innings, somersaulting in celebration after bringing up his seventh Test ton with one of six maximums for his uniquely devastating knock.

The first hour had otherwise been a little flat, the usually vocal Headingley crowd a little subdued as India continued to accumulate and passed 400 with ease, though they were violently awoken from their slumber by the sheer audacity of some of Pant’s shot-making.

A newly-dubbed ‘falling paddle’ brought him four off Shoaib Bashir as, off balance and halfway to the floor, Pant somehow still connected with his scoop fine to the fence, while it was no surprise to see his 146-ball hundred brought up with a six.

Out of nowhere, the partnership was finally ended as Bashir (1-100) earned richly-deserved reward for a strong, sustained spell of bowling when Gill (147) toe-ended one out to deep backward-square.

Pant continued to play his shots regardless and should have been out stumped in Bashir’s next over when losing his grip on the bat as he tried to send one into orbit over the Western Terrace, but Jamie Smith failed to gather the ball.

Stokes and Pope at forefront of England fightback

The missed chance would only cost England 10 further runs off his bat as, after Pope claimed a stunning, leaping grab at cover to see off Karun Nair for a duck – one of three for the Indian innings – Tongue would pin Pant in front lbw.

Stokes and the England management have made a point of wanting to manage his workload this summer after numerous niggles over the years and with this winter’s Ashes in mind, but Stokes sensed an opportunity to sniff out a seventh in the seventh over of his spell, and he did just that as Shardul Thakur (1) nicked off on the stroke of lunch.

Tongue then mopped up Bumrah (0), Jadeja (11) and Prasidh Krishna (1) without too much trouble after the interval, dismantling the stumps of the latter two to complete the collapse. But, as happy as England will have been with their morning’s work, the changing overhead conditions prompted concern for what lay ahead with the bat.

Crawley and Duckett were therefore all too happy to immediately turn back around to the safety of the England dressing room when, just as play was about to resume, rain arrived.

A short, sharp shower delayed proceedings by little more than 30 minutes though and gloomy, bowler-friendly conditions remained to welcome England’s openers back to the middle, albeit only briefly in the case of Crawley.

Bumrah struck with the final ball of the first over, Crawley edging a near unplayable delivery to slip that shaped into his pads before jagging away late.

There’d be a hearty lbw shout, and review, against Duckett soon after, as well as edges through the slips and then that dropped chance by Jadeja. But in among the near misses and half chances, England were rattling along at quite the rate, Duckett bringing up a 68-ball half century and Pope off 64 either side of tea.

The return of Bumrah, of course, would halt the burgeoning stand, Duckett bowled off an inside edge, and the India quick would also end Root’s uncharacteristically scratchy knock late in the day as the ICC’s top-ranked bowler and batter went head-to-head.

A fourth wicket of Brook with just three balls remaining would have soured England’s evening futher but he’d survive courtesy of one of three no-balls for the over as Bumrah strained sinew for one final breakthrough.

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