Well done Pope. Great innings and good to see England not capitulate. Make India work for it at least.
Didnt expect to wake up today and see us still playing with a fighting chance. Incredible 196 from Pope and very useful runs from Rehan and Hartley too.
And West Indies beat Australia too! It was a brilliant ending to that one. Not a bad morning of cricket all-round
Brilliant. Would love to see West Indies with a strong test side again, would be very good for the game too.
Whatever happens from here it's so refreshing to see England stand up to a huge challenge rather than just collapse.
Hartley needed this bowling innings, so I'm pleased for him. I always like the thought of a tall left-arm spinner, who bowls it quickly, in India (and Hartley fills that brief). It doesn't matter if they naturally can't turn the ball very much, because Indian pitches will invariably do that work for them. I don't think it's a coincidence that our one test series victory in India in recent memory is when we were able to play Monty (another tall quick left arm spinner) alongside Swann. But Hartley did suffer quite badly in the first innings, and if this second innings had gone against him too, his place might have been in question (and whilst I love having three spinners in India, I do think four is unnecessary). The fact that he's handy with the bat (by lower order standards) is helpful.
Boom Ordinarily a debutant taking seven wickets in the fourth innings to bowl his side to victory would be a guarantee for MOTM. But nothing can out-do that Pope innings.
Shades of Botham's Headingley win in '81...fantastic turn around by England. It's going to be a great series.
Unbelievable, leaving it to the last over of the day too! Once again the 3rd innings of the match was the turning point.
