“When the chips were down…” - Sachin Tendulkar’s beautiful message for Ollie Pope after match-winning 196

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar heaped rich praise on the England batter Ollie Pope after his valiant effort with the bat. He said that the batter scripted the unexpected twists for his team and his innings is one of the best by an England batter on Indian soil.

England achieved the remarkable feat as they defeated India by 28 runs in the first Test of the five-match series. They made sure that they started the series on high as they took an early lead of 1-0 on the series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

One of the major reasons behind England’s win was No.3 batter Ollie Pope. The batter played one of the best innings by the overseas batter in Indian conditions and bailed his team out of trouble.

When the team was down and dusted, he held the fort and helped his side take the lead, which didn’t look possible at one stage. The batter tackled the spin pretty well and played some gorgeous shots all around the park.

Ollie Pope ended with the sensational knock of 196 runs and helped England set a target of 231 runs to chase. With the ball then, it was debutant Tom Hartley, who chipped in brilliantly and picked 7 wickets to bundle out the opposition for 202 runs and win the game by 28 runs.

Sachin Tendulkar hailed Ollie Pope’s valiant effort when the chips were down for the England team. He pointed out the batter’s good footwork and shot selection against spinners, touting his innings as the best. Taking to his Twitter account, he said:

“The best stories are the ones with unexpected twists and Ollie Pope scripted one for his team. When the chips were down for his team he shone through with a combination of sound shot selection, staying positive and good footwork, especially against our spinners.

“This is surely a standout performance by an Englishman on Indian soil. England fought back really well to win the 1st Test and set up an exciting series ahead.”

Tom Hartley and Ollie Pope were the standout performers – Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar believes that the contribution by Ollie Pope along with tailenders in the end cost India the game. The batting great said that the Rohit Sharma-led side needs to put in thinking before going into the next game.

Sachin Tendulkar apart from Ollie Pope was also in awe of Tom Hartley for his excellent bowling performance in the second innings. He explained:

“Even after being 5 down in the 2nd innings, they were able to add more than 250 runs and those partnerships cost us the game. Despite being ahead in the Test at one stage, India has ended up on the losing side and will have some thinking to do ahead of the next Test. For me, Tom Hartley and Ollie Pope were the standout performers.”

The best stories are the ones with unexpected twists & @OPope32 scripted one for his team. When the chips were down for his team he shone through with a combination of sound shot selection, staying positive and good footwork, especially against our spinners. This is surely a… pic.twitter.com/zbsSiXmkkl

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 28, 2024

The second Test match between India and England will be played from 2nd February at Vizag. The Rohit Sharma-led side would be hoping to make a comeback in the second game and level the series.