LONDON (AP) — Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow were leading a brilliant counterattack for England after India made two early breakthroughs on Day 2 of the fourth test at the Oval on Friday.
Resuming on 53-3 in reply to India’s 191 all out, England lost nightwatchman Craig Overton (1) in the second over of the day and then Dawid Malan for 31 — both to catches behind the wicket off paceman Umesh Yadav — to slump to 62-5.
Pope (38) and Bairstow (34) went on the attack with some aggressive shot-making and their partnership was up to 77 by the time England reached lunch on 139-5.
England trailed by 52 runs, with just allrounder Moeen Ali to come before the tail.
The series is tied at 1-1, making this a critical period in the test — and the series — as England bids to get a first-innings lead.
The recalled Pope was the first to cut loose, hitting three boundaries in four balls — either side of four leg byes — to switch the momentum of the morning session being played under a bright sky in south London.
All but six of Bairstow’s runs have come from boundaries, many through the leg side as he pounced on anything straight and pitched up.
On an action-packed first session, an intruder — dressed in cricket whites — ran onto the field of play and pretended to bowl a delivery, colliding with Bairstow as he did so. He was escorted off the field.
Yadav had figures of 3-49.
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