English cricketer Joe Root lavished high praise on his teammate Ollie Pope for his sensational innings in the ongoing first Test against India. He said Pope played one of the best innings he has seen in his career.
Ollie Pope was the hero of the day for England on Day 3 of the ongoing match against India in Hyderabad. The batsman brought out his best in Test cricket and made sure to bring his team closer to winning in the first game, which at one point looked bleak.
Ollie Pope came to bat after England lost Zak Crawley. He ensured that the visitors maintained attacking play and put pressure on the team. But after that, they lost wickets in quick succession as the bowlers attacked them.
Then the real challenge began for Ollie Pope, but he greatly appreciated it as he rescued his team from trouble and held down the fort. The way he played spin, he looked like he was playing some batsman from the subcontinent, as he had complete control over the shots he played.
Thanks to the brilliance of Ollie Pope, England took the lead in the first innings and finished the day with 126 runs in the bank. The batsman scored his fifth Test century and remained unbeaten with 148 runs on Day 3.
Joe Root hailed Ollie Pope’s innings as a masterclass and highlighted the way he batted in difficult conditions. He praised the batsman and said it was great to see him play those innings after recovering from the injury. Speaking after the day’s play, he stated:
“The way Pope played today was, honestly, an absolute masterclass in how to bat in these conditions as an overseas player. Someone who is not exposed to these surfaces day in and day out, who is coming off a serious injury like he had in the summer with that amount of time out of the game, and then recovers well, no words, honestly, is just one of the “Best hits I have ever seen in my life.”
That was really special today: Joe Root talks about Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 148 runs.
Joe Root further pointed out how Ollie Pope manipulated the field and praised his concentration and determination. He further said that the batsman’s innings were better than the runs he had managed in subcontinental conditions. He elaborated:
“To manipulate the field like he did against that attack on that surface, to show that power of concentration and determination, and aptitude and skill, all combined, was immense.
“I could have scored a few runs on the subcontinent, but not on a surface like that against an attack like that. Honestly, that was really special today.”
On Day 3, England were 316/6. They would hope to extend their lead of 126 runs and get at least 200 runs under their belt. If they managed to get anything around 200, it would be a real challenge for the Indian batsmen.
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