Despite hesitation in the ranks and some visible skepticism from Ben Duckett, Pope decided to trust his instincts and signal for the review. Even Ben Stokes, sidelined for this Test, looked uncertain as he glanced at the big screen for clarity
Ollie Pope celebrates following a review the first day of the fifth Test (Pic: AFP)
Englandās stand-in skipper Ollie Pope finally shrugged off his dismal Decision Review System (DRS) record with a breakthrough moment on the opening morning of the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford. After 13 unsuccessful attempts as captain while fielding, Pope struck gold on his 14th review, ending a long streak of misjudged calls that had drawn scrutiny in the past.
The moment came early in India's innings when speedster Gus Atkinson, making his return to the Test side in place of the injured Jofra Archer, delivered a searing in-ducker that struck Yashasvi Jaiswal just below the knee roll. The ball appeared to nip in sharply off the seam, catching Jaiswal in front of the stumps. However, the English fielders were divided in their response. The double sound, bat or pad, left the team in two minds.
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Despite hesitation in the ranks and some visible skepticism from Ben Duckett, Pope decided to trust his instincts and signal for the review. Even Ben Stokes, sidelined for this Test, looked uncertain as he glanced at the big screen for clarity.
Moments later, replays confirmed Pope's decision in emphatic fashion. The ball had missed the bat entirely and struck pad first, with Hawk-Eye projecting it crashing into the stumps. All three lights turned red, sealing Jaiswalās fate for a subdued 2 off 9 balls. Pope raised his arms in celebration, finally getting it right, as Stokes erupted in laughter and applauded from the dressing room balcony.
It marked Popeās first successful review in 14 attempts while captaining England in the field. His previous reviews had resulted in 12 outright rejections, with one falling under the āumpireās callā category. The breakthrough earned light-hearted praise from the commentary box, with Michael Atherton quipping on 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's early troubles didnāt end there. Chris Woakes, operating with tight lines and subtle movement, dealt another blow by dismissing KL Rahul. Having ground out 14 runs off 40 balls, Rahul looked to cut a delivery that wasn't quite short enough, only to drag it onto his stumps in a moment of miscalculation.
Atkinson and Woakesā early strikes left India reeling, undoing the visitorsā solid efforts in previous Tests and setting the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested series finale.
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