The Indian bowlers didn’t pose sufficient risk for the seasoned Joe Root and Ollie Pope who introduced up fluent half-centuries, steering England to 332 for 2 in a wicketless morning session on day three of the fourth Test right here on Friday (July 25, 2025).
After a forgettable night session on day two, the Indian bowling attack as soon as once more did not make inroads into the England batting.
Root (63 batting off 115 balls) and Pope (71 off 123) cast an unbeaten 135-run stand that threatened to take the sport away from India, who led solely by 26 runs after posting 358 of their first innings.
Besides an odd ball protecting low from the James Anderson finish and one other leaping from the other aspect, Jasprit Bumrah and Co didn’t hassle Root and Pope.
Guilty of providing too many freebies on the leg aspect on Thursday, the Indian pacers continued to supply free balls to launch stress on the opposition.
Bumrah bowled a full ball into Root’s pads to start out his day and the England veteran duly flicked it for a 4. Later in his spell, Pope and Root had been fast to tug Bumrah for a boundary every when the Indian tempo spearhead pitched it quick.
Resuming the day at 225 for 2, England eased to 266 for 2 within the first hour of play.
Anshul Kamboj, who had an underwhelming begin to his Test profession on day two, created an opportunity in his opening spell however stumper Dhruv Jurel couldn’t maintain on to a tricky likelihood. Pope was on 48 at the time, Root took a single off Mohammed Siraj within the 58th over to turn out to be the third highest main run scorer in Tests.
He is anticipated to surpass Ricky Ponting within the sequence and when that occurs, he would solely be behind the good Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 15921 runs.
Washington Sundar was launched as late as the 69th over and Root put him beneath stress straightaway by reverse sweeping him for a boundary.
Brief scores:India 1st innings: 358 all out in 114.1 overs (Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 5/72).
England 1st innings: 332/2 in 74 overs (Ben Duckett 94, Zak Crawley 84, Ollie Pope 70 batting, Joe Root 63 batting; Ravindra Jadeja 1/59 ).
