Visitors England registered a memorable victory against India in Hyderabad on Sunday by bowling out Rohit Sharma's men for 202 in 69.2 overs. Chasing a target of 231 to win, the Indian batters got bamboozled by debutant Tom Hartley who claimed 7 wickets (26.2-5-62-7-2.35). The result means the Three Lions now lead the five-match series 1-0.
This is India's fourth defeat in home Tests since 2013 and India's approach during chase was in complete contrast to how Pope tackled Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with a lot of intent. The spin twins have never been lethal on surfaces which aren't exactly dustbowl and England's second innings batting show won't do their reputation any good.
Earlier, Pope's brilliant 196 took England to 420 in their second innings, and gave them a substantial lead and genuine hopes of stretching India. And England did way more than stretching the hosts.
In fact, this defeat will leave a deep burn in Indian hearts as they stumbled against a 25-year-old rookie Lancastrian with a combined experience of three international matches on a pitch that did not hide any demons.
There was appreciable turn and variable bounce but nothing this set of Indian batters could not have negated. Three dismissals showcased the travails of Indians on the day Shubman Gill (0), Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) and Shreyas Iyer (13) fell to their own ineptitudes.
Jaiswal made a half-hearted charge against Hartley and the spinner pulled back his length after spotting movement of the batter. All the left-hander could manage was to spoon a catch to Pope at silly point.
Gill followed the suit two balls later in the same over. He made a hard-handed, indecisive push at the ball after Hartley tossed one around the off-stump. Pope did the rest at silly point.
Jack Leach, who is still not 100 per cent after taking a blow on his knee while fielding, dealt another telling blow to India's aspirations.
He produced a rather regulation ball that went across the right-hander from around the stumps, and Shreyas just poked the ball to Joe Root at first slip. It was just a nothing dismissal that encapsulated India's turmoil on the day.
India could have felt a greater pinch with Iyer's dismissal as he is one of the better-equipped batter in this batting unit to negate spin.
In-form KL Rahul (22) looked all set for another impact innings, but Root pinned him on the back-foot as the batter attempted a whip on the on-side.
Rahul went upstairs after the on-field umpire gave him leg before, but the TV umpire too concurred with his distant colleague's decision.
Ravindra Jadeja challenged Ben Stokes for a quick single and the England captain found his target with a direct throw, catching the batter well short of the crease.
But the sight of him walking back with a clutched hamstring might just offer a tad concern to the Indian camp.
Skipper Rohit Sharma looked in good space but Hartley's guile had him stationed in front of the wicket when the ball thudded on to his pads.
After losing three wickets in the post-lunch session, India slipped further in the final passage losing wickets in a cluster before Ravichandran Ashwin (28) and KS Bharat (28) stemmed the slide for a while with a 58-run alliance for the eighth wicket.
Their assiduousness was a marker for some of their top-order teammates but it remained just that. A gloomy pointer.
Earlier, Ollie Pope's incandescent innings helped England set up a tough fourth innings chase for India before getting bowled out at the stroke of lunch.
Pope (196 off 278, 21x4) propped up England, who resumed from 316 for 6, as the Indian bowlers failed to make any impact.
It was only the second time a team managed to go past that mark in the second innings in India since 2012. Alastair Cook's England did that in Ahmedabad.
Pope was helped in his endeavour by an enterprising Hartley (35) as the pair milked 80 runs off 106 balls.
They executed the pre-set strategy of playing a variety of sweeps to perfection to keep the Indians a befuddled lot.
It required a shooter from Ashwin to snap the stand. Hartley stayed back to play a length ball from the off-spinner but the ball kept low to beat his defence to smash onto the stumps' base.
From there India managed to eke out a couple of quick wickets, including that of Pope to bring curtains to England's innings.
Fittingly, Bumrah, the best among India's bowlers, ended his stay with a slower ball that dishevelled the stumps as Pope tried a reverse scoop.
Bumrah also fetched India's first breakthrough in the morning session, when he had Rehan Ahmed caught behind.
Ahmed, who till then showed admirable self-restraint, chased a wide one from Bumrah to give a regulation catch to KS Bharat behind the stumps.
However, Ahmed had helped Pope to make 64 runs for the seventh wicket that extended England's lead.
- With PTI inputs
