Ollie Pope produced a determined century to steady as England rallied back against India on Day Two of the first Test at Headingley.
England ended the day at 209-3, still trailing India’s imposing first-innings total of 471 by 262 runs. Pope remained unbeaten on 100, after being fortunate to survive a drop on 60, anchoring the innings from a precarious position of 4-1 following Zak Crawley’s early dismissal.
Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the world’s premier all-format bowler, continued his fine form by claiming three wickets for 48 runs in 12 overs, having taken all the wickets to fall so far. His deliveries consistently troubled England’s batsmen, highlighted by Crawley’s dismissal early in the innings and Joe Root’s careless edge to first slip for 28.
Yet, the day also brought moments of drama for England’s rising star Harry Brook, who was initially caught off Bumrah for a duck in the final over but was reprieved by a no-ball call after review.
India’s innings earlier had looked destined to surpass 500, thanks to aggressive centuries from Rishabh Pant (134), opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and captain Shubman Gill (147). Pant’s innings was particularly eye-catching, marked by audacious strokeplay and a memorable somersault celebration upon reaching his seventh Test century.
However, a sudden collapse saw India lose their last seven wickets for just 41 runs inside 12 overs. England’s bowling unit, led by Ben Stokes (4-66) and Josh Tongue (4-86), capitalized on this opportunity to halt India’s momentum.
Despite the sizeable deficit, Pope’s gritty hundred and the late wickets taken by England have set the stage for an intriguing third day in this fiercely contested opening Test of the series.
