{"id":17531,"date":"2024-01-29T00:56:53","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T05:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/india-vs-england-ollie-pope-pivotal-as-tom-hartley-breaks-curse-in-comeback-test-victory-for-the-ages-cricket-news\/29\/01\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-01-29T00:56:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T05:56:53","slug":"india-vs-england-ollie-pope-pivotal-as-tom-hartley-breaks-curse-in-comeback-test-victory-for-the-ages-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/india-vs-england-ollie-pope-pivotal-as-tom-hartley-breaks-curse-in-comeback-test-victory-for-the-ages-cricket-news\/29\/01\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"India vs England: Ollie Pope pivotal as Tom Hartley breaks curse in comeback Test victory for the ages | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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You are facing a formidable India. They have won their last 16 home Test series. You head into your second innings trailing by 190. Somehow, you win by 28 runs. <\/p>\n

Ask any England fan after day two whether this result was likely and you would have been met with a laugh or a scoff, scolded for your blind optimism in the face of inevitable defeat.<\/p>\n

India have won 43 out of their last 47 Tests, why would that stop now? Never before have India lost a Test at home in which they had led by 100 runs or more on first innings, why would that stop now?<\/p>\n

Somehow, it did.<\/p>\n

England clawed themselves back from the brink of an innings defeat to secure a victory of Herculean proportions, proving the doubters wrong and once again showing that there is something special happening in that dressing room.<\/p>\n

So, just how did they do it? Let’s take a look…<\/p>\n

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\n England walked away with the most improbable of victories on day four of the first Test
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Pope’s pivotal innings<\/h3>\n

On days three and four in Hyderabad, it was the turn of Ollie Pope to step to the fore with what is surely his best Test innings to date.<\/p>\n

Pope scored a sublime 196 runs from 278 deliveries to revive England and give the tourists hope of victory over India, setting the hosts a target of 231 to win the first Test.<\/p>\n

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Michael Atherton says Ollie Pope showed courage and bravery as his brilliant century revived England’s hopes of victory in the first Test against India.<\/span>
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It is fair to say that many did not see Pope as the player who would be the protagonist in this story, his nervous first innings weighed on many people’s minds; the England No 3 had fallen for just one from 11 deliveries, poking left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja to slip. It was wondered whether Pope could be the one to deliver. He answered that question and then some.<\/p>\n

His fifth Test hundred came in a composed and mature fashion from 154 deliveries, Pope growing into his innings as England tried their best to build a lead that would give them a fighting chance. 17 fours saw him close day three on 148 not out from 208 deliveries, adding four more boundaries on day four.<\/p>\n

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\n Ollie Pope brought up his century from 154 deliveries as England mounted their fightback
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The performance also came in the context of this Test being Pope’s first game back since June and there was at least some talk of him not playing before Harry Brook went home for personal reasons.<\/p>\n

With such a backdrop, Pope provided an innings that gave England hope and one that will be remembered by his team-mates for a long time to come – Joe Root calling it a “masterclass” of batting in the subcontinent.<\/p>\n

Without Pope’s innings, there would have been no opportunity for a young Lancashire debutant to show what he can really do on the international stage…<\/p>\n

Hartley’s hearty fightback: Breaking the curse of the Lancashire spinner<\/h3>\n

If you are a Lancashire spin bowler picked to play for England, you enter the fray with a history behind you that you do not want to end up a part of.<\/p>\n

The past four spin bowlers that the Red Roses have had represent England – Chris Schofield, Simon Kerrigan, Matt Parkinson, and Liam Livingstone – have had a torrid time, just five caps between them and performances that provide a mix of poor fortune, injuries, and zero wickets.<\/p>\n

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\n Tom Hartley overcame a true test of his character to put on a sublime display on day four
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At the end of the first innings, it looked like Tom Hartley’s name was going to be added to that list.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old spinner posted figures of 2-131 and suffered a chastening first innings, with the first and fifth balls of his debut smashed for six.<\/p>\n

It led to many questions being raised as to why Stokes kept turning to Hartley with so many runs being leaked. Hartley answered the critics on day four in some fashion.<\/p>\n

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\n “It’s unbelievable. It’s not going to sink in for a while I think. I’m over the moon to be honest.<\/p>\n

It’s one of the best dressing rooms I’ve been in.”<\/span><\/p>\n