Yeh lamha 21 June 2025 ko Headingley mein India ke khilaaf pehle Test ke doosre din ka tha. Pope ne No. 3 par 100* runs (125 balls, 13 fours) banaye, jab England 471 runs ke jawab mein 209/3 tak pahuncha. Duckett ne kaha, “Pope ka century dekhkar goosebumps hue. Unhone Jasprit Bumrah jaise bowler ke khilaaf tough conditions mein shandaar batting ki.”
Pope par Jacob Bethell ke saath selection pressure tha, jo New Zealand tour par No. 3 par khele the. Ben Stokes ne Pope ka samarthan kiya, aur unke 171 runs (Trent Bridge vs Zimbabwe) ka zikr kiya. Duckett ne kaha, “Dressing room mein koi shak nahi tha. Pope ne apni jagah sabit ki.” Pope ka celebration unke pressure ko darshata tha, jaise Sam Konstas ka Melbourne mein 60 runs ka jashn (2024-25 vs India).
Match Summary (Day 2, England vs India, Headingley)
| Player | Runs | Balls | Fours | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie Pope | 100* | 125 | 13 | Not Out |
| Ben Duckett | 62 | 94 | 9 | Out |
| Joe Root | 28 | – | – | Out |
| Harry Brook | 0* | – | – | Not Out |
India ke liye Bumrah ne 3 wickets (Crawley, Duckett, Root) liye, lekin doosre bowlers ka saath kamzor raha. Duckett ne Bumrah ko “world’s best bowler” kaha, jo har condition mein mushkil paida karta hai. Yeh match Brian Lara ke 2004 mein 400* runs (vs England) ki yaad dilata hai, jab ek batsman ne team ko sambhala.
Pope ka yeh century England ke liye game-changer tha, jaise Kevin Pietersen ka 2005 Ashes mein 158 runs. Pope ne apni mental strength aur team ke samarthan se critics ko jawab diya. Duckett ne kaha, “Pope ek match-winner hain, aur yeh century dressing room ke liye bhi bada tha.”
