Ollie Pope continues sub-par second innings run following cheap dismissal at Lord's

India Gazette

21 hours ago

London [UK], July 13 (ANI): Team India had a dominating first session during day four of the third Test against England at Lord's, reducing England to four wickets down with their number three Ollie Pope continuing his poor second innings run at home.
England ended the session at 98/4, with skipper Ben Stokes (2*) and Joe Root (17*) and the team leading by 98 runs. Pope was the second casualty of the day for England, falling leg-before-wicket to Mohammed Siraj for just four runs.
This dismissal continued Pope's awful run in second innings of his side in Tests. In 45 innings, Pope has scored just 825 runs at an average of 19.64, with a century and two fifties, with best score of 196.
Pope is far more intimidating statiscally in the first innings, scoring 2,662 runs in 59 innings at an average of 46.70, with eight centuries and 13 fifties. His best score is 205.
Despite his immense talent and technical ability, Pope has enjoyed a mixed bag of a Test career so far, scoring 3,487 runs at an average of 35.22, with nine centuries and 15 fifties in 104 innings. His best score is 205.
England started Day 4 on 2/0 with Zak Crawley (2) and Ben Duckett (0*) unbeaten on the crease. Mohammed Siraj gave the host an early blow as he removed Duckett for 12 in the 6th over, and Ollie Pope joined Crawley in the middle.
Just before drinks in the first session, Siraj grabbed his second wicket of the innings by removing Pope for just four. At drinks, England were 42/2 with Zak Crawley 17 (43) unbeaten on the crease.
Joe Root joined Crawley in the middle, and England crossed the 50-run mark in the 15th over after Root pushed the ball towards deep point for a single. Nitish Kumar Reddy removed Crawley for 22 runs off 49 balls, including four fours.
Crawley's drought for runs in the series continues. Harry Brook came to the crease after Crawley's wicket.
Brook took on Indian bowlers as he hurried on to 23 off just 17 balls. Akash Deep took his first wicket of the match as he cleaned up Brook for 23, and England skipper Ben Stokes joined Root in the middle.
Earlier in the match, Opener KL Rahul's ton and left-hand batter Ravindra Jadeja's 72 helped India to level the score at 387 on Saturday at Lord's, which was also set up by England in the first innings of the Test match.
England's skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat first. Batting first, the Three Lions scored 387 runs thanks to a century stand between Root (104) and Ollie Pope (44) and a counter-attacking 82-run stand between Brydon Carse and Jamie Smith, who both struck fifties down the order.
Brief Scores: England: 387 & 2/0 (Ben Duckett 0*, Zak Crawly 2*; Jasprit Bumrah 0/2) vs India: 387 (KL Rahul 100, Rishabh Pant 74; Chris Woakes 3/84). England 98/4 ( Harry Brook 23, Zak Crawley 22; Mohammed Siraj 2/11). (ANI)