NewKerala.com

Key Points

Ollie Pope finally got a DRS review right after 13 unsuccessful attempts, much to the amusement of Ben Stokes. Gus Atkinson troubled India's top order with his pace, while Chris Woakes removed KL Rahul. Michael Atherton humorously praised Pope's rare correct call. England had a strong start in the fifth Test against India.

Key Points: Ollie Pope Ends DRS Jinx as Stokes Laughs at 14th Review Success

  • Pope celebrates first successful DRS call in 14 attempts
  • Stokes bursts into laughter as review proves correct
  • Atkinson rattles India with early breakthrough
  • Woakes dismisses KL Rahul with clever bowling
2 min read

Stokes bursts into laughter after England stand-in captain Pope breaks DRS jinx in 14th attempt

England stand-in captain Ollie Pope finally nails a DRS review after 13 failed attempts, leaving Ben Stokes in splits during the India Test.

"His holiness, the Pope has called it right. His eyes are better than ours. – Michael Atherton"

London, July 31

England stand-in captain Ollie Pope finally broke his dreadful streak of missing the mark while exercising the option to review after hitting the bullseye in 14 attempts during the opening hour of the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford.

In the absence of tearaway Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, returning to the Test fold for the first time since May, rattled India's top order with his blistering pace. With an inward angling delivery and a hint of movement, Atkinson struck Yashasvi Jaiswal just below the knee-roll of his pads.

There were two sounds, and the England players were confused. The opinion was split, with players voicing their opinions, but Pope decided to trust his instincts, which left Ben Duckett less than pleased. Even designated captain Ben Stokes appeared confused before switching his eyes to see the replay.

During the check, the ball cleanly whistled past Jaiswal's bat and his fate was sealed. Three reds appeared on the screen, and Pope raised his hands in the air to celebrate the moment, while Stokes burst into laughter and applauded as the southpaw returned cheaply on 2(9).

This was Pope's 14th review as captain while fielding, and the first one he has called right. Out of 14, 12 were struck down, and one ended up being an umpire's call.

Former cricketer-turned-commentator Michael Atherton beamed with delight and said, as quoted from Sky Sports, "His holiness, the Pope has called it right. His eyes are better than ours. There were two noises, but it was pad, pad. After reviewing terribly as a stand-in last summer, he has got this right."

India was jolted once again after Chris Woakes lured KL Rahul to chop the ball back onto the stumps, sending all of his hard work down the slumps, forcing him to return on 14(40). He tried to cut the ball away but diverted it straight towards the timber.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

A
Ananya R
Michael Atherton's commentary was hilarious - "His holiness the Pope" 😆 But jokes aside, Jaiswal needs to work on his technique against incoming deliveries. Too many early wickets are costing us matches abroad.
S
Sarah B
As an England fan living in Mumbai, this was pure comedy! But credit to Atkinson - that delivery to Jaiswal was unplayable. India's batting lineup looks vulnerable without Kohli's experience in these conditions.
V
Vikram M
The DRS drama was entertaining but let's not ignore the real issue - our batsmen's technical flaws against swing bowling. The team management needs to arrange more practice matches in England-like conditions before tours.
K
Kavya N
Rahul's dismissal was so unlucky! He was looking solid until that unfortunate chop-on. Sometimes cricket can be cruel like that. But England's celebration of Pope's first successful review shows how much team spirit matters in Test cricket.
M
Michael C
Respect to Pope for sticking to his instincts despite the terrible track record. That's leadership! Though I must say, India's batting collapses in overseas Tests are becoming too predictable. Need better preparation.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50