Resurgent Ollie Pope tons up to steady England

Ollie Pope was dismissed for a scratchy 1 in the first innings of the Hyderabad Test but he looked confident from the word go in the second. Sweeps and reverse-sweeps were employed to good effect while he played out a fiery Jasprit Bumrah spell and countered spin superbly. The youngster removes his helmet and points it towards the dressing room, gets a hug from Ben Foakes and has a big smile on his face.

It has been a rewarding passage of play for England after tea. No wickets were lost even as 73 runs have been added to the total, pushing England’s lead to 55. There is turn on offer but it’s slow turn and the batters are having the time to adjust. Both the batters are looking in sublime touch. England would hope for this partnership to carry on as chasing anything around 200 could be tricky in the final innings considering the wear and tear the surface undergoes.