What happened on Day 4 of the 1st IND vs ENG 2024 Test?

England beat India by 28 runs on Day 4 of the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, January 28. With an impressive win, England took a significant 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

The visitors began Day 4 on 316/6, with Ollie Pope unbeaten on 148 and Rehan Ahmed on 16. They continued their commendable fightback with the bat to post 420 as Pope fell four short of a magnificent double hundred. Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley then turned around his fortunes in his debut Test, claiming 7/62 as India were bowled out for 202 in a chase of 231.

The hosts lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) early in the chase. He was caught at short leg, foxed by Hartley as he charged down the track. In the same over, the struggling Shubman Gill was caught at silly point for a duck. Rohit Sharma looked in control during his 39, but Hartley produced another good delivery to end his resistance, trapping the Indian captain in front of the stumps by beating his inside edge.

Axar Patel, who was promoted in the order, offered some resistance as India went to tea at 95/3. The left-hander, however, fell for 17 in the first over after the break, chipping a return catch to Hartley. KL Rahul (22) was the next to go, trapped lbw by Joe Root, who got one to straighten from round the stumps.

The most definite indicator of this not being India’s day was the fact that Ravindra Jadeja (2) got run out. The left-hander pushed a full toss from Root towards mid-on and set off for a risky single. England skipper Ben Stokes produced a direct hit with a back-handed flip to catch Jadeja short of his crease.

In more worrying signs for India, the all-rounder walked back clutching his hamstring. Shreyas Iyer (13) perished soon after, nicking Jack Leach to slip as India crumbled to 119/7.

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Bharat, Ashwin revive India’s hopes, but Hartley has the final say

Just when the match seemed like one-way traffic, Ravichandran Ashwin (28) and Srikar Bharat (28) batted with resolve to lift the hosts. The duo featured in a defiant eighth-wicket stand of 57 to keep India in with a chance. However, just when it seemed like England were beginning to feel the pressure, Hartley struck again, producing a beauty to clean up Bharat. The left-arm spinner got one to turn past the batter’s defensive stroke and knocked the off-stump.

With only the tail left for company, Ashwin was stumped as he looked to heave Hartley out of the ground. The end came when Mohammed Siraj (12) was also stumped comprehensively off the England debutant’s bowling, while attempting a slog.

Earlier, Pope combined with England’s lower-order to push the team’s lead to a significant 230, which proved enough in the end. After Rehan (28) was caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah (4/41), Pope and Hartley (34) frustrated India with an 80-run eighth-wicket stand.

Ashwin bowled Hartley with a ball that kept low, while Jadeja dismissed Mark Wood (0). Pope was the last wicket to fall, bowled by Bumrah as he attempted a reverse-scoop. He missed out on a well-deserved double hundred, but had done more than enough to put England on the path to victory.