‘For the sake of Test cricket, hope India are 7 down needing 50 to win’: Kevin Pietersen's prediction for Day 4
The former England captain said India might be seven down on Sunday, still needing 50 more runs to win.
Not for the first time during the India vs England first Test in Hyderabad, Kevin Pietersen made a prophecy. But unlike his previous prediction about England's first innings score, this one has some chance of becoming true, at least that's what the England fans would like to believe. The former England captain said India might be seven down on Sunday, still needing 50 more runs to win.
"It’s a marathon and not a sprint! England's session by a LONG WAY. If England win this session, this Test is alive. And for the sake of Test cricket, I hope we’re here tomorrow afternoon with India needing 50 to win and 7 wickets down! A grandstand finish on a Sunday please!" Pietersen wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the morning session of Day 3, also the first session that England won in this Test.
England got the last three Indian wickets for just 15 runs, restricting the lead to 190 and then reached lunch with just one wicket down with a score above 100.
Two sessions later, the chances of Pietersen's prediction becoming in a reality grew higher. It was because of Ollie Pope's unbeaten 148, what Joe Root described as "one of the best knocks" he'd ever seen. England reached stumps at 316 for six, leading India by 126 runs.
"If you’re a lover of Test cricket, no matter if you’re English or Indian, we should all love the fact that England have a lead and we’re hopefully in for a tight finish tomorrow," Pietersen tweeted after the close of play.
Post-lunch, England’s game plan of playing reverse sweep against spin worked wonders. Pope and Ben Duckett extended their second-wicket partnership to 68 runs.
Their stand came off only 57 balls and unnerved the Indian camp, which brought on Jasprit Bumrah to counter with pace.
Bumrah got the ball reversing and bowled Duckett for 47 runs. He faced 52 balls, hitting seven fours in all.
The Indian speedster got a second wicket without delay, trapping Joe Root for just two runs as England was down to 117-3 in 21 overs.
There was a mini-partnership between Pope and Jonny Bairstow — worth 23 runs — before the latter was bowled shouldering arms to Ravindra Jadeja.
Despite that success, Jadeja went for runs through the day and finished with 1-101 in 26 overs, bowling only one maiden.
Ravichandran Ashwin also picked a wicket, bowling Ben Stokes (6) with a sharp off-spinner. England was suddenly five-down and went to tea at 172-5.
On resumption, Pope and Ben Foakes put on the most vital partnership of the innings for England. They put on 112 runs off 183 balls, with both batters looking to score at every opportunity, putting pressure back on the Indian spinners.
Pope had reached 50 off 54 balls in the previous session and marched on to his first second innings century off 154 balls. The second 50 runs was more sedate given that England lost a few more wickets, but the scoring rate picked up later on in the last session.
Pope was dropped on 110 off Jadeja, with Axar Patel putting down a regulation chance off yet another reverse sweep.
Patel made amends by bowling Foakes for 34 runs to provide a vital breakthrough for India. Pope, though, denied the hosts further, adding another 41 off 62 balls for an unbroken seventh wicket stand with Rehan Ahmed (16 not out).
It was only the fourth time — after Ken Barrington (1961), Mike Gatting (1984) and Jonathan Trott (2012) — an English batter scored a second innings hundred in India.
Earlier in the morning session, Joe Root took 4-79 as India crashed from overnight 421-7 to lose three wickets for 15 runs across 21 deliveries.
Jadeja was out for 87, missing out on his fourth test hundred, out lbw to Root who was denied a hat trick.
India’s lead was cut down to 101 runs as the English top order set a quick pace in its second innings to reach 89-1 off 15 overs at lunch.
