Ollie Pope’s Unbeaten 100 Guides England to 209/3 at Stumps After India Post 471 in First Innings

Pope’s century and a 122-run stand with Duckett help England recover after Bumrah’s triple strike; hosts trail India by 262 runs at the end of Day 2 in the Leeds Test.

Leeds [UK], June 22: Ollie Pope’s commanding century and a pivotal 122-run stand with opener Ben Duckett steered England to a solid 209/3 at stumps on Day 2 of the first Test against India at Headingley. Responding to India’s first-innings total of 471, England found themselves in early trouble but recovered well — thanks largely to Pope’s unbeaten 100 off 125 deliveries.

After India’s middle-order collapse earlier in the day, England made an assertive comeback. Despite losing Zak Crawley early to Jasprit Bumrah, Duckett and Pope counterattacked with flair. The hosts were 107/1 at tea and ended the final session with Pope still holding the fort, while Harry Brook (0)* remained watchful at the other end.

Pope Anchors England After Duckett’s Dismissal

Pope began the session on 48* and raced to his half-century off 64 balls, hitting eight boundaries, including a crisp four off the very first ball by Bumrah. Duckett also brought up his fifty in 68 balls, continuing his excellent run at the top. The two maintained an ODI-like tempo, reaching a 100-run partnership in just 126 balls and bringing up England’s 100 in 21.3 overs.

However, Bumrah broke through in the 36th over with a classic delivery that sent Duckett’s middle stump flying. Duckett departed for 62 off 94 balls, ending a spirited 122-run stand. Pope carried on and was dropped by Jaiswal in the slips, offering India a missed chance to tilt the game further.

Pope then brought up his ninth Test century and second against India — a fluent, confident knock crafted with 13 boundaries. His partnership with Joe Root, who made 28 before becoming Bumrah’s tenth career victim, pushed England to the 200-run mark before another breakthrough occurred. Root edged a full delivery to Karun Nair in the slips, again courtesy of Bumrah’s precision.

Bumrah nearly had Harry Brook too — but a no-ball saved the batter. England ended the day at 209/3, trailing by 262 runs, with Pope (100)* looking set and composed.

Bumrah Shines But India’s Bowling Support Lacks Bite

While Bumrah ended the day with figures of 3/48, the rest of the Indian bowling unit struggled to sustain pressure. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna remained wicketless and were inconsistent with their lines, allowing England’s batters to settle in quickly.

Duckett praised Bumrah post-match as “the best bowler in the world,” adding that his unorthodox run-up and ability to deliver multiple variations with minimal cues make him almost impossible to read.

England Restrict India After Early Day Onslaught

The day had started with India resuming from a strong overnight score of 359/3, with Shubman Gill (127)* and Rishabh Pant (65)* at the crease. The duo stretched their partnership to 209 before Gill fell for 147 to Shoaib Bashir. Pant powered his way to 134 off 178 balls, laced with 12 fours and 6 sixes, including a brutal assault on Bashir and Carse.

However, a sudden collapse followed:

• Karun Nair fell for a duck to Stokes.
• Pant was trapped LBW by Tongue.
• Shardul Thakur was removed for 1 by Stokes.
• The Indian innings wrapped up at 471, losing 7 wickets for just 41 runs.
  Stokes (4/66) and Josh Tongue (4/86) were instrumental in engineering the collapse.

Day’s Momentum Swings Set Up Intriguing Day 3

The day witnessed a see-saw battle: India dominated early, England roared back with the ball, and then again with the bat. Pope’s resilience, Duckett’s counterpunch, and Bumrah’s brilliance have set the stage for a critical Day 3, where early wickets or a continued partnership could swing momentum either way.

Brief Scores:
India – 471 all out (Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134; Ben Stokes 4/66, Josh Tongue 4/86)
England – 209/3 (Ollie Pope 100*, Ben Duckett 62, Jasprit Bumrah 3/48) – trail by 262 runs