In a gripping encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, England pulled off a sensational turnaround to defeat India by 28 runs in the first Test. Ollie Pope emerged as the hero with a match-winning century, scoring 196 runs off 278 balls, adorned with 21 boundaries.
While with the ball, the inexperienced Tom Hartley, making his Test debut, stole the spotlight. He clinched a remarkable maiden five-wicket haul, claiming figures of 26.2-5-62-7. Ben Stokes, leading England, orchestrated a stunning victory on Indian soil, setting a challenging target of 231 runs for the hosts.
In response, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side faltered, succumbing to a total of 202 runs in 64.3 overs. Despite a valiant effort by Ravichandran Ashwin and KS Bharat, who stitched a crucial 57-run partnership for the eighth wicket—the highest in the second innings—their dismissals extinguished India’s hopes of a comeback.
The pairing of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah managed a 25-run partnership but couldn’t forestall the inevitable. Hartley’s exceptional performance culminated in India’s innings coming to an end. England’s adept bowling attack, spearheaded by Hartley, secured a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Rohit Sharma failed to put up a show with a bat
Skipper Rohit Sharma’s resilient 39 emerged as the highest score by an Indian batter in the second inning, yet it fell short in the face of England’s determined bowling effort. Ravichandran Ashwin and Srikar Bharat exhibited resilience with a partnership of 57 runs for the eighth wicket, attempting to extend the match into the final day.
However, their efforts were in vain, as England emerged victorious, setting the stage for a compelling series. The second Test of the five-match series is scheduled to commence in Visakhapatnam on Friday. The unexpected twists and turns in this thrilling contest have heightened anticipation for the upcoming battles between these two cricketing giants.
Here is how fans react to India’s loss:
Number of matches lost as Indian captain at home :-
Virat Kohli – 2 (in 10 years)
Rohit Sharma – 2 (in just 1 year)Without Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma can't even win a test match at home.
— TROLL PAKISTAN CRICKET (@trollpakistanii) January 28, 2024
If you can’t even chase 230 at your home then you don’t deserve to win that it. ?
— Mumbai Indians FC (@MIPaltanFamily) January 28, 2024
Indian team without Kohli is a joke???
— Vishwajit Patil (@_VishwajitPatil) January 28, 2024
Incredible just incredible. After being behind The game in the first innings how England have come back & won this game. Playing true to the brand of cricket they want to play. This is an ICONIC GAME. The series is setup now. India has to make a comeback.
— Anurag Rekhi (@Dravidict) January 28, 2024
Captain Rohit Sharma is responsible for this defeat.
Wrong team selection, defensive captaincy, inresponsible shot selection and we lost .
Shubham Gill, Srikar Bharat and Shreyas Iyer should be dropped..— Satya Prakash (@Satya_Prakash08) January 28, 2024
Rash shot from Ash cost us the match pic.twitter.com/YQ7llYq81n
— Muzaffarpur Now (@muzaffarpurlive) January 28, 2024
Team ??'s day wise situation in this Test Match ???#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/Bxz1ldS3Nu
— Anish Verma (@anishverma1985) January 28, 2024
Damn this was something else from Pope, Hartley and England…
— Neon Man (@NeonMan_01) January 28, 2024
Who is responsible for this defeat?
— Sankott (@Iamsankot) January 28, 2024
Today Morning Session India opted a Defensive Setup where with Just only 1 slip which Benefitted England with Great Confidence and Runs by Hartley and Pope
Morning India Should Have Taken an Attacking One with Atlest 3 to 4 slips
Easily we would have got less than 30 to 40 runs— VINEETH?? (@sololoveee) January 28, 2024
