England's cricket team, led by Ben Stokes, achieved a remarkable victory over India in Hyderabad this Sunday. The team's success in overturning a massive first-innings deficit of 190 runs marks a significant milestone, being second only to India's legendary comeback against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001.
This victory is all the more notable considering it is only India's fourth defeat in 47 home Tests over the past 12 years, highlighting the magnitude of England's triumph in the series opener.
India was on the verge of victory when India’s eighth-wicket pair, R Ashwin and KS Bharat, hinted at a potential turnaround. However, England's Tom Hartley emerged as the hero of the day, claiming a seven-wicket haul. His crucial breakthrough in breaking the Ashwin-Bharat partnership set the stage for England's eventual win.
England captain Ben Stokes made a strategic move to extend play by half an hour, seeking a decisive end to the match. This decision paid off as Hartley continued his impressive performance, taking crucial wickets, including that of Ashwin, who was stumped after a failed aggressive play.
The final moments of the match saw a nail-biting stand by India's last-wicket pair, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who nearly pushed the match to another day. However, Hartley's skillful bowling in the final over of the day led to Siraj's stumping, securing a 28-run victory for England and marking a dream debut for Hartley with figures of 7 for 62.
Earlier in the day, India's batting lineup struggled post-Tea, losing quick wickets, including Axar Patel to Hartley and KL Rahul to Joe Root. A brief recovery effort by Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer was halted by a moment of brilliance in the field from Ben Stokes. England's Jack Leach also contributed to India's woes, claiming the wicket of Iyer. The resilient stand by Ashwin and Bharat ultimately only delayed England's victory.
The morning session saw England building on the momentum gained on Day 3, with Ollie Pope nearly achieving a double-century. His partnership with Hartley was crucial in setting a challenging target of 231 for India. Pope played a brilliant knock of 196 and was adjudged the Player of the Match as well.
This Test match, witnessed by a crowd of over 20,000, will be remembered as a classic, showcasing the unpredictable nature of Test cricket. England's triumph, achieved through a combination of aggressive strategy, skillful bowling, and determined batting, sets a high standard for the rest of the series. As the teams prepare for their next encounter, the stage is set for more exciting cricket in this riveting contest between two of the sport's giants.
Brief scores:
England 246 (Ben Stokes 70; R Ashwin 3-68, R Jadeja 3-88) & 420 (Ollie Pope 196, Ben Duckett 47; Jasprit Bumrah 4-41, Ravichandran Ashwin 3-126) beat India 436 (R Jadeja 87, KL Rahul 86, Yashasvi Jaiswal 80; ) & 202 (Rohit Sharma 39; Tom Hartley 7-62) by 28 runs.