Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett stitched together a crucial partnership on Day 2 to put England in a strong position in their first innings after India were bowled out for 471.
England suffered an early setback when Zak Crawley was dismissed cheaply, undone by a brilliant delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. However, Pope joined Duckett at the crease and the duo ensured that the momentum didn’t slip away. They kept the scoreboard ticking with positive intent and compiled a 122-run stand off just 166 balls.
Pope brought up his ninth Test century
Pope contributed 58 runs off 72 deliveries, while Duckett scored 62 off 94 balls. Their partnership brought much-needed stability to the English innings after the early blow. The stand was eventually broken by India’s spearhead Bumrah once again. This time, he bowled a full delivery outside off, and Duckett, attempting a drive, could only manage a thick inside edge that crashed into the middle stump.
Duckett registered his 13th Test fifty in 33 matches, reaching the landmark in just 68 balls. Pope, meanwhile, brought up his ninth Test century, reaching the three-figure mark in 125 deliveries. At the time of writing, Duckett had scored 62 off 94 balls, including nine boundaries, while Pope remained unbeaten on 100 off 125 balls, with 13 boundaries.
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