Pope sweeps to classy ton, leads England's fightback

No.3 batter hits 148* by sticking to team's attacking plan against Indian spinners on Day 3 of the first Test

- Sanjjeev K Samyal

Displaying great powers of concentration and batting doggedly while using every trick to unsettle the bowlers, it was a valiant display by Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes with their backs to the wall on Saturday. But one ball stayed low on the third day’s pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the last delivery of the 67th over from Axar Patel. Foakes was helpless as the ankle-high ball crashed into the stumps, end his fighting 104-run partnership with Pope. Down for the count when skipper Ben Stokes was dismissed cheaply at the team total of 163, the sixth wicket pair had stretched the lead to 85.

It was a crucial breakthrough for the hosts, feeling the pressure with every run England added to their total. Riding on Pope’s sensational unbeaten 148, England reached 316/6 at stumps to remarkably still be in the game after India took a first-innings lead of 190. England are 126 runs ahead and anything close to 175 could be a testing chase.

Outplayed on the first two days, the visitors needed an inspirational effort to lift their spirits. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out positive in the second innings, but the day's headline act was by Pope.

His hundred will go down as among the best in India by an overseas batter. It is being compared to Alastair Cook's epic 176 in the second innings of the first Test of the 2012 series at Ahmedabad.