PIX: Hartley stars as England edge India to take series lead

IMAGES from Day 4 of the 1st Test played between India and England in Hyderabad, on Sunday. 

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England defeated India by 28 runs in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Set a target of 231, India were all out for 202 in 69.2 overs on the fourth day of the series opener.

The pushback started by incandescent Ollie Pope was given its perfect conclusion by debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley whose soul-ripping spell fashioned England's memorable 28-run win over India on the fourth day of the first Test in Hyderabad on Sunday.

India's chase of 231 went horribly south once Hartley (7/62) spun into India's top-order, igniting a rot that had India bowled out for 202 in the final over of the day. England 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 dustbowls and England's second innings batting show won't do their reputation any good.

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.

But for getting into a position from where they can dictate the course of the match, England, resuming from 321 for six, should be indebted to Pope, who ballooned his overnight 148 to 196.

The Indian top-order struggled copiously against debutant England left-arm spinner Tom Hartley on a slow-turner, as the hosts stuttered to 95 for three at tea on the fourth day of the first Test in Hyderabad on Sunday.

KL Rahul (21 batting) and Axar Patel (17 batting) are in the middle as India chase of 231 after England piled 420 in their second innings assisted by Ollie Pope's splendid 196.

India still need to score 136 runs more for a favourable result from this match.

However, India's chase started in a solid fashion with skipper Rohit Sharma (39) and his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) adding 42 fuss-free runs in 11.4 overs.

Rohit even played a couple of sweeps and reverse sweeps to tackle the England tweakers, but the first hint of trouble came when Jaiswal was snaffled by Hartley (3/31).

After spotting the advancing Jaiswal, the left-arm spinner pulled his length back and the opener could only spoon a simple catch to Pope at silly point.

Two balls later, Hartley gave marching orders to Shubman Gill, who will have to think hard and long about his approach towards Test cricket before the management is forced to look elsewhere.

Hartley tossed the ball up on the off-stump and Gill's half-hearted prod engaged Pope at silly point again as India suddenly looked in a shaky space.

But a rude shock was awaiting them as Hartley soon won a leg-before appeal against Rohit, whose attempt to play for turn brought disaster.

However, Rahul and Axar, who was promoted to No. 5 ahead of Shreyas Iyer to nullify Hartley, negated the rest of the session. 

Ollie Pope's incandescent innings helped England set up a tough fourth innings chase for India before being bowled out for 420 at the stroke of lunch on the fourth day of the first Test in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Pope (196, 278b, 21x4s) propped up England, who resumed play from 316 for 6, as the Indian bowlers failed to make any impact.

India now need 231 runs for victory to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

But the lack of a 'Plan B' was evident in the way the Indians bowled, often straying to the pads or going way outside the off-stump to give freebies to the Englishmen.

But Pope was not complaining either as he merrily added to the total as England flew past 400 runs in their second innings.

It was only the second time a team managed to go past that mark in India since 2012 -- Alastair Cook's England was the last side to manage that feat at Ahmedabad.

Pope was helped in his endeavour by an enterprising Tom Hartley (35) as the pair milked 80 runs off 106 balls.

They executed the pre-set strategy of playing sweeps and reverse 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 and smashed on to 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 of Indian bowlers, ended his stay with a slower ball that dishevelled the stumps as Pope tried a reverse scoop.

Earlier, 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.

England's effort was vastly different from India's outing on Saturday morning when they lost three wickets for just 15 runs in 54 minutes.

In the corresponding time, the Englishmen added 72 runs in 16 overs, losing one wicket.

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