28 January 2024 , 12:03
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England summoned a Herculean effort to seal a famous win over India in the first Test match in Hyderabad.
Chasing 231 to win, India appeared to be taking the match into a fifth day before Tom Hartley bowled KS Bharat with a beauty that turned past the outside edge. Ravichandran Ashwin was then stumped by Ben Foakes attempting a ridiculous shot. England were then given extra time by the umpires, but it appeared as though Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj would frustrate them, only for Siraj to be stumped attempting a heave in the final over to give Hartley his seventh wicket.
The victory is all the more incredible given that India are nigh-on invincible at home, having not lost in 14 series on home soil since England famously won 2-1 back in 2012. During that time they have lost just three Test matches, compared to 36 wins and seven draws. This match appeared to be going to plan for Rohit Sharma's side, who had a 190-run lead after the first innings.
But Ollie Pope's stunning effort of 196, as well as contributions from Foakes (34), Rehan Ahmed (28) and Hartley (34) saw England reach 420 in their second innings and set India a challenging 231 to win on a turning wicket. Yet with England's premier spinner Jack Leach struggling with a swollen knee and debutant Hartley having gone for 131 from his 25 overs in the first innings, it was still a tall order on day four.
Buoyed by his efforts with the bat, Hartley settled into a brilliant rhythm, taking the wickets of his first-innings tormentor Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill thanks to sharp catches from Pope before pinning captain Sharma lbw. Those wickets gave England a foothold and they pressed home their advantage, with Hartley having Axar Patel caught and bowled before Joe Root trapped KL Rahul lbw and Ben Stokes ran out Ravindra Jadeja with an absurd piece of athleticism.
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Stokes - who had knee surgery in November - charged in from mid-on, picked up the ball and released it in one motion out the back of his hand to throw down the stumps at the non-strikers' end. It was the highlight of an excellent day in the field for England, who kept going to ensure the fifth day wouldn't be needed.
Ben Stokes ran out Ravindra Jadeja with a superb piece of fielding (NOAH SEELAM/AFP via Getty Images)England would not have had enough runs to play with in the fourth innings had it not been for Pope, who recorded one of the very best centuries by an England batter overseas. The visitors were reeling at 163-5 in their second innings when Stokes was bowled by Ashwin, but Pope put on 112 with Foakes to steady the ship and then put on a batting clinic with the lower order.
The fact he was bowled by a Jasprit Bumrah slower ball trying to find the boundary with a reverse scoop to reach a double-century said everything about his state of mind. Although he missed out on reaching 200, he ended with the fourth-highest score by a visiting batter in a second innings in India.