With a potential historic victory for England on the horizon, they entered Day 4 of the first Test against India with a comfortable lead of 126 runs.
Ollie Pope quickly added two runs to his score, reaching the 150-run milestone, while Rehan Ahmed displayed resilience against Jasprit Bumrah’s testing deliveries, which included a hint of reverse swing.
Amidst the serene atmosphere of the sunny morning in Hyderabad, Bumrah delivered a powerful reminder of the intensity of the match through an unusual display of aggression.
In the 80th over, Bumrah swiftly directed a delivery into Pope’s thigh pad. Despite the impact, the two batsmen managed a quick single. However, as Pope crossed over to the other end, Bumrah, casting a glance at him, subtly moved a couple of inches towards the pitch, aligning his body with the approaching batter.
Pope, focused on the ball, unintentionally collided with the solid Bumrah and displayed visible surprise at the contact, expressing his feelings with flailing arms.
— Jas Pope (@jas_pope93438) January 28, 2024
There is a little bit fight between Pope and Bumrah.
— Deepak. (@imCricX) January 28, 2024
#SA20 #IPL2024 #INDVENG #INDvsENG #imCricX #INDvENG #AUSvWI #WTC25 #TestCricket #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/C05rjwc5mW
Maintaining his playful demeanor, Bumrah humorously advised Pope to stay on course. To prevent any escalation, skipper Rohit Sharma intervened, diffusing the situation with a touch of humor. Nevertheless, Twitterati had already caught wind of the incident and was buzzing with commentary.