The China Mail - Hundred hero Pope answers England's prayers as Bumrah strikes in first Test

England were 209-3 in reply to India's first-innings 471 at stumps, still a deficit of 262 runs, with Pope exactly 100 not out after being dropped on 60.

But they had been 4-1 when Pope came to the crease after a superb Bumrah delivery had Zak Crawley caught by Karun Nair off just the sixth ball of the innings.

And after Surrey right-hander Pope reached his century, a gripping day of Test cricket ended with late drama involving two England batsmen on their Yorkshire home ground.

Joe Root fell to Bumrah for 28 when he carelessly steered him straight to first slip and, in the last over of the day, it looked as if the fast bowler had dismissed Harry Brook for a duck when the rising star top-edged a needlessly aggressive pull and was well caught by Mohammed Siraj at midwicket.

But the third umpire confirmed a no-ball to spare Brook's blushes.

Bumrah ended the day with 3-48 from 12 overs, having taken all the England wickets to fall so far in the first of this this five-Test series.

Arguably the world's best all-format bowler, Bumrah could have had even better figures but for dropped catches with the usually reliable Ravindra Jadeja putting down Ben Duckett at backward point on 15.

Bumrah did dismiss the left-handed opener for 62 via an inside-edged a drive onto the stumps.

But he had another chance missed off his bowling when Pope, repeating the steer shot that had taken him to fifty off the first ball after tea, was put down by a diving Yashasvi Jaiswal in the cordon.

Pope went to 95 with a square-cut boundary off Shardul Thakur before an inside-edged single off Bumrah too him to a 125-ball century including 13 fours at an increasingly sun-drenched Headingley.

India had threatened a total in excess of 500 earlier Saturday after Pant (134) joined opener Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill as one of three batsmen to make hundreds in the innings.

But a collapse either side of lunch saw India lose their last seven wickets for 41 runs inside 12 overs.

England captain Ben Stokes led from the front with an economical 4-66 in 20 overs, while fast bowler Josh Tongue wrapped up the innings on his way to 4-86.

- Pant head over heels -

India resumed on their overnight 359-3, with Gill 127 not out in his first innings since succeeding the retired Rohit Sharma as skipper, and Pant unbeaten on 65..

Pant soon went to a hundred in stunning style, the wicketkeeper charging at Shoaib Bashir before hoisting the off-spinner high over deep midwicket for six despite one hand coming off the bat.

The 27-year-old then celebrated his century with an acrobatic somersault.

Pant's seventh hundred in 44 Tests, and fourth against England, came off 146 balls including 10 fours and four sixes in a typically aggressive innings.

The pair were in complete command until Gill's mistimed pick-up shot off Bashir flew straight to deep square leg as the 25-year-old skipper fell for 147, having faced 227 balls including 19 fours and one six.

Gill's exit ended a partnership of 209 in 49 overs with Pant that had taken India to 430-4 and opened the door for a flurry of wickets to give England hope.

Pant, having played a succession of extraordinary strokes, was lbw offering no shot to Tongue before the paceman polished off the tail.

S.Wilson--ThChM