IND vs ENG: 1st Test, Day 4 Talking Points – Tom Hartley’s 7-fer scripts famous victory for England
England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after winning the first Test by 28 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Pope amassed 196, as England was bowled out for 420 in their second innings.
India had to chase down a target of 231 but the English bowlers showed commendable perseverance to get their team a memorable win. Tom Hartley was the star of the show, as he finished with figures of 7/62. Joe Root and Jack Leach bagged one wicket apiece, while Ben Stokes’ brilliant fielding effort found Ravindra Jadeja short of his crease.
Talking Points from Day 4:
3. Ollie Pope carried on from where he left on Day 3
Ollie Pope scored one of the best centuries by an England batter on Day 3. He helped England finish on a lead of 126 at stumps. He remained unbeaten on 148 off 208 balls. However, the English fans would have hoped for him to continue batting in the same vein on Day 4 and help extend the lead. The 26-year-old did just that as he added another 48 runs to his score off just 70 deliveries. His knock eventually ended when he tried to reverse-sweep Jasprit Bumrah but got out-bowled. However, he had already helped England put on a massive second-innings lead of 230 runs.
2. Does Shubman Gill need a break?
The Punjab batter has been in woeful form in Test cricket as of late. In India’s recent Test vs South Africa, Shubman struggled for runs but the pitches were not the easiest to bat. However, he would have hoped for a turnaround at home against England. He tried to dig deep in the first innings but eventually lost his concentration and was dismissed for 23. In the second innings, the talented batter would have hoped to make amends. But, he perished for a duck after facing just two balls. Virat Kohli has also ruled himself out of the second Test and that could give Gill another go. However, if India wants to give him a break, they can give the promising Rajat Patidar a go.
1. Tom Hartley bounces back in style
Debutant Tom Hartley had a forgettable start to his Test career. Yashasvi Jaiswal didn’t allow him to settle down in the first innings. The left-arm spinner conceded 131 runs in his 25 overs in the first innings and picked up a couple of wickets. He was the most expensive English bowler in the first innings, conceding runs at an economy rate of 5.20. However, the youngster showed great character in the second innings, shining with both bat and ball. After scoring 34 runs and stitching a vital 80-run partnership with Pope, Hartley tormented the Indian batting and finished with a seven-wicket haul.
