England wrested control of the fourth Test on a docile morning in Ranchi, as seasoned campaigners Joe Root and Ollie Pope compiled fluent half-centuries to lead a dominant response to India’s first-innings total. With neither batsman offering a chance throughout the morning session on Day 3, England reached a commanding 332 for two at lunch, trailing India by just 26 runs and eyeing a significant lead.
Root, batting on 63 off 115 deliveries, and Pope, on a confident 71 off 123 balls, shared an unbroken 135-run stand that frustrated the Indian bowlers and gradually shifted momentum in England’s favour. The duo batted with assurance, punishing erratic lines and length from the Indian attack that failed to pose any real threat on a largely benign surface.
India, who had ended Day 2 with little to cheer after England closed in on 225 for two, continued to lack penetration on the third morning. Jasprit Bumrah, expected to lead the charge, was inconsistent and offered far too many loose deliveries. A full ball on Root’s pads early in the day was casually flicked to the boundary, and a few overs later, both Pope and Root capitalised on short balls, pulling them effortlessly for fours.
Besides a couple of deliveries that either kept low or reared up from the surface, one from the James Anderson End and another from the opposite side, the pitch remained largely placid. But it was the lack of sustained pressure from the Indian bowlers that allowed the English pair to bat freely.
Anshul Kamboj, playing just his second day in Test cricket, showed glimpses of promise and even created a half-chance early in the session. However, wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel couldn’t latch onto a sharp offering when Pope was on 48.
Meanwhile, Root quietly etched his name further into cricketing history. With a single off Mohammed Siraj in the 58th over, the Yorkshireman moved past Rahul Dravid to become the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. He is now within striking distance of overtaking Ricky Ponting, with only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him.
India’s tactical decisions were also puzzling. Off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar was introduced as late as the 69th over, by which time the English batters had firmly settled in. Root wasted no time in putting the pressure back on Sundar, reverse-sweeping his second ball for four.
With the pitch offering minimal assistance and the Indian bowlers appearing short on ideas, England’s stronghold on the game only tightened as the morning wore on.
