Ollie Pope scored a dazzling unbeaten 148 in front of 25,561 crowd struck as England’s hopes alive in the first Test against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Resuming the innings at 421/7, Joe Root struck twice in succession- first by dismissing Ravi Jadeja leg before wicket for 81 and then cleaning up Bumrah for a first ball duck..
Axar Patel (44) was then bowled by Rehan Ahmed with one that kept low, as India were bowled out for 436, with an overall lead of 190.
In response, England opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got their side off to a solid start. The pair added 45 for the opening stand before Ravichandran Ashwin got the breakthrough by dismissing Zak Crawley (31) caught at slip .
Duckett featured in yet another crucial 68 run stand for the second wicket alongside Pope before the former was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah for 47.
Bumrah claimed his second wicket by trapping Joe Root (2) leg before wicket. Jonny Bairstow (10) then misjudged the delivery from Axar Patel and was bowled.
The visitors were in further trouble as skipper Ben Stokes (6) was knocked over by Ashwin with the delivery that gripped and turned past the outside edge leaving them in spot of bother at 163/5.
The pair of Pope and Ben Foakes frustrated the Indian bowlers by adding 112 runs for the sixth wicket stand. Pope moved into the 90s by reverse sweeping Ashwin for a boundary through covers. He reached his well deserved hundred by whipping Jadeja for three runs through midwicket.
At the end of Day 3, England finished at 316/6, with an overall lead of 126.
England 246 and 316 for 6 (Pope 148*, Bumrah 2-29, Ashwin 2-93) lead India 436 (Jadeja 87, Rahul 86, Jaiswal 80, Root 4-79, Rehan 2-105, Hartley 2-131) by 126 runs