By Amlan Chakraborty
HYDERABAD, India, (Reuters) -Debutant Tom Hartley landed three blows as India, chasing 231 to win the opening test against England, slumped to 95-3 at tea on day four of the see-saw contest at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
A lead of 190 had put the home side in charge but Ollie Pope’s epic 196 revived England, who posted 420 all out in their second innings to roar back into the contest.
Left-arm spinner Hartley, who went at 5.24 per over in the first innings, wiped out India’s top order.
KL Rahul (21) and Axar Patel (17) led the charge for India, who need 136 to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.
Earlier, England vice-captain Pope dug his heels in to produce one of the finest knocks by a touring batter in India.
He got strong support from the England tail with Rehan Ahmed (28) and Hartley (34) producing useful cameos under pressure.
Jasprit Bumrah (4-41) dismissed Ahmed but Hartley continued to frustrate the home side while Pope continued accumulating runs at the other end.
Pope got a life on 186 when (KL) Rahul dropped him in the slip off Mohammed Siraj.
Ravichandran Ashwin (3-126) eventually dismissed Hartley and Bumrah ended Pope’s vigil when he uprooted the off-stump after the batter had attempted a reverse-scoop.
India began their pursuit for victory rather cautiously before Hartley jolted them.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) flicked the spinner to short leg and, two balls later, Shubman Gill perished at silly point with Pope taking both catches.
Rohit Sharma (39) looked more assured than them but Hartley trapped the rival captain LBW to reduce India to 62-3.
Rahul and Patel steadied the innings but the match remained in the balance.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by William Mallard and Christopher Cushing)
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