IND vs ENG: Experts hail Ollie Pope for unsettling Indian bowlers with his clear game plan

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England's Ollie Pope emerged as the shining star on Day 3 of the first Test against India in Hyderabad. His gritty innings of 148 not out propelled England to a commanding position, setting up a healthy 156-run lead in the third innings.

With four wickets still in hand, England will aim to extend their lead by another 100 runs, putting pressure on India in the fourth innings. Chasing a target of 250 or more will be very challenging for the Indians in the fourth innings on a turning fourth/fifth-day track.

Former India cricketer and expert Zaheer Khan, speaking on JioCinema's 'Match Centre Live,' praised Pope's outstanding performance. Noting that while Jasprit Bumrah's spell initially seemed threatening for England, Pope's resilience turned the tide in their favour at stumps at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Khan highlighted the Surrey batter's confidence, adaptability, and solid defence, which enabled him to counter the Indian bowlers effectively.

"England are in a good position in this match, the spell from Bumrah made us believe that Indian bowlers might dominate the match, but Ollie Pope had different intentions."

Khan, the former India quick, added further, "The pitch required you to have a solid defence along with all your shots to survive longer. The self-confidence that Pope showed, the way he shuffled between front foot and back foot, his innings was commendable. He took the Indian bowlers by surprise, and he deservingly was the player of the day."

Echoing Khan's sentiments, former England cricketer Owais Shah lauded Pope and his teammate Ben Duckett for their adept use of the reverse sweep and their ability to rotate the strike with wristy shots. Shah emphasised England's strategic use of sweeps, indicating that it will likely continue to be a key aspect of their gameplay throughout the series.

"Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, both used the reverse sweep to good effect and scored a lot of runs, but what was impressive was the use of wrists to take singles and doubles. And speaking about the sweeps, that is something England have planned, and we will continue to see a lot of that in this series," Shah remarked.

Former India captain Anil Kumble also commended Pope's innings, acknowledging its brilliance and its potential to impact the outcome of the match. Kumble emphasised the importance of India's task in restricting England's lead to under 150 runs to avoid a challenging run chase in the fourth innings. He analysed the pivotal moment when Axar Patel dropped Pope's catch, noting the impact it had on the team's morale and the urgency of capitalising on such opportunities.

"Ollie Pope was brilliant. India would be hoping that they will be able to come back tomorrow and restrict England to less than 150. It is going to be a tricky run chase, regardless of what the bowling lineup or the quality because it is the fourth innings of a Test match, where the ball is keeping certainly low and it just takes a couple of important batters to get out early - you don't want panic to set in," Kumble claimed.

"Obviously, India have the batting lineup and need to get these four wickets, they can't let them get away from the score that they are. Pope looked to unsettle the Indian bowlers, it was a clear plan that he had, and it worked for him," the legendary India spinner added further.