Watch- Ollie Pope takes a sharp catch as Rajat Patidar gets out for a duck in the Ranchi Test

England vice-captain Ollie Pope showcased his brilliant fielding skills during India’s second innings of the ongoing fourth Test match in Ranchi. Ollie Pope grabbed a sharp catch to dismiss Rajat Patidar, bringing the visiting team back into the game against the Indian team.

England made a comeback on Day 3 of the fourth Test with an improved bowling performance at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on Monday, February 26. The visitors managed to take three wickets in the first session, limiting Team India to 118/3.

Watch- Ollie Pope takes a smart catch as Rajat Patidar gets out for zero

The incident occurred in the 27th over of India’s second innings of the match. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir deceived Rajat Patidar with a brilliant delivery. Patidar pressed forward, but the ball took the inside edge and hit the pad before Ollie Pope completed the catch.

Rajat Patidar faced another setback in his debut Test series as he was dismissed for a duck. The Indian team suddenly collapsed from 84 for 0 to 100 for 3 in quick succession. The Rohit Sharma-led side still needs more than 80 runs to secure victory in the match.

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In the ongoing red-ball series in India, Pope has displayed brilliance on the field, securing five catches so far, with most of them taken in close proximity to the batters.

Rajat Patidar Flopped Badly In Ongoing Test Series vs England

Patidar failed to capitalize on the opportunity presented in the absence of key players. Positioned at number four throughout the series, the right-handed batter only managed to score 63 runs across six innings, falling short of the high expectations in the series.

The Madhya Pradesh cricketer might be dropped from the playing XI for the fifth and final Test match against England in Dharamshala. KL Rahul, who missed the three matches, is on the way to regain his full fitness. Devdutt Padikkal is another option to replace Patidar.

Rajat Patidar Will Come Up With An Impactful Innings – Vikram Rathour

Before the start of the fourth Test, Vikram Rathour voiced his support for Patidar. Despite a couple of challenging games, Rathour expressed confidence in Patidar’s abilities and his potential for impactful performances.

“We have been having a lot of conversations with him [Patidar]. One thing he has to understand is that this is how this game works. He has been batting really well and scoring a lot of runs to get into the team,” Rathour said.

“Two poor games don’t make him a bad player. He just had two tough games, couple of awkward dismissals, which can happen to anyone. There is absolutely no doubt that he is a good player. On his day, he will come up with an impactful innings,” he added.

Also read: Ollie Pope gives a shut-up call to former England players criticizing Bazball, insists England won’t discontinue their philosophy