Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has advised the visiting team to take the match session by session. He wishes to see India struggling with only 50 runs left to score for the last three wickets to make the game end with a grandstand finish in Hyderabad. England’s fightback in the second innings was led by Ollie Pope who scored an unbeaten 148 runs at the end of Day 3.
India began their second innings at 421/7, with Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel scoring 81 and 35 runs respectively. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 436 in 121 overs, giving them a 190-run lead after the first session. Jadeja missed out on a well-deserved century by just 13 runs as he got dismissed for 87, while Axar contributed with 44 runs. Despite not being a frontline spinner, Joe Root emerged as England’s best bowler, picking up 4 wickets for 79 runs.
Taking his X handle, Kevin Pietersen wants the England team to take the match session by session in Hyderabad, to ensure that the game ends with a tight finish and lauded the English players for their fight back in the game despite a tough outing in the first two days.
“It’s a marathon and not a sprint! England’s session by a LONG WAY. If England win this session, this Test is alive. And for the sake of Test cricket, I hope we’re here tomorrow afternoon with India needing 50 to win and 7 wickets down! A grandstand finish on a Sunday please!”
It’s a marathon and not a sprint! Englands session by a LONG WAY. If England win this session, this Test is alive.
And for the sake of Test cricket, I hope we’re here tomorrow afternoon with India needing 50 to win and 7 wickets down! A grandstand finish on a Sunday please!…— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 27, 2024
“If you’re a lover of Test cricket, no matter if you’re English or Indian, we should all love the fact that England have a lead and we’re hopefully in for a tight finish tomorrow,” Kevin Pietersen wrote on his X handle.
England started their second innings with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett at the crease, who got off to a promising start until R Ashwin took the first wicket for India, dismissing Crawley for 31 at 45/1. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope kept England’s batting going and helped the team surpass 100 runs. However, England’s wickets continued to fall as experienced Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes failed to provide their best in the middle, leaving Pope to struggle alone.
Ollie Pope was then partnered by Ben Foakes at the other end, with whom he carried England past the 200-run mark with a 112-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Pope put up a spirited fight throughout the third session, scoring his first century on Indian soil.
Pope and Ahmed shared an undefeated 41-run partnership in the third session to give their side hope of making a comeback into the game. At the end of Day 3, England were 316/6 in 77 overs and a 126-run lead, with Pope and Rehan remaining unbeaten in 148 and 16, respectively.
