Cricholic
Duckett, Pope Anchor England’s Counterattack After Bumrah Strike
Duckett, Pope led England’s spirited counterattack in the Headingley Test after India lost control despite three brilliant centuries. The pair added an unbeaten 103-run stand for the second wicket as England raced to 107/1 by Tea on Day 2, recovering strongly from an early blow dealt by Jasprit Bumrah.
Zak Crawley fell early to a peach from Bumrah, caught at first slip. Bumrah looked lethal in his opening spell and repeatedly troubled Ben Duckett. However, India failed to capitalize, as both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja dropped sharp chances in the gully. As a result, England settled in and began to rebuild.
Pant’s Century in Vain as India Collapse from 430/3 to 471 All Out
Earlier, India resumed confidently on 359/3 with Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill at the crease. Gill continued to impress with elegant strokeplay, while Pant took the aggressive route. He smashed Brydon Carse early and then went after off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Pant reached his hundred in style with a massive six 💥, followed by a somersault celebration 🤸♂️. Moreover, he struck another six to push India past 400, signaling his intent to dominate.
Meanwhile, Gill was cruising toward 150 before mistiming a slog-sweep off Bashir to fall for 147. That dismissal triggered a shift in momentum. Soon after, Karun Nair was dismissed for a duck 🦆 by Ben Stokes.
Pant kept attacking and survived a stumping scare due to a fumble by Jamie Smith. However, his luck ran out as he was trapped LBW by Josh Tongue after misjudging the line. Although he reviewed the decision, it stayed with the on-field call — and England saw an opening.
England’s Bowlers Trigger a Stunning Collapse
Following Pant’s wicket, England pounced. Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue combined brilliantly to wipe out India’s lower order. From a dominant 430/3, India collapsed to 471 all out — a fall that was both swift and shocking.
It was the lowest total in Test history by a team with three individual hundreds, underscoring how abruptly the innings fell apart. Stokes picked up 4/66 🎯, while Tongue also claimed 4/86 — both thriving under cloudy skies and exploiting the swing.
Duckett, Pope Shine in Tricky Conditions Before Tea
With the ball now in their hands, England’s batters came out aggressively. Despite losing Crawley early, Duckett and Pope batted with purpose. The pair rotated the strike smartly and punished loose deliveries from Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
Duckett reached his half-century with a confident sweep off Jadeja 💫. Pope, on the other hand, remained calm and composed at the other end. Together, they added 103 runs, defying the conditions and flipping the momentum. Importantly, they didn’t allow any bowler to settle.
India Lose Grip Despite Big Hundreds
India’s position of strength slipped away quickly. Though Jaiswal (101), Gill (147), and Pant (134) delivered outstanding individual performances, the rest of the batting unit faltered. Consequently, India’s opportunity to post a 550+ total was lost.
England, on the other hand, capitalized on every opening. With bat and ball, they wrestled control of the Test and ended Day 2 with their heads held high. Now, the game is wide open heading into Day 3.
📊 Brief Scores
India 471 all out
(Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134, Yashasvi Jaiswal 101; Ben Stokes 4/66, Josh Tongue 4/86)
England 107/1 at Tea
(Ben Duckett 52*, Ollie Pope 48*)
England trail by 364 runs
