England’s great escape! Ben Stokes’ men clinch famous Test victory in India as debutant Tom Hartley takes SEVEN wickets after Ollie Pope’s magnificent 196 to record one of their best-ever wins

From being hit for six on his first ball in Test cricket to becoming the first English spinner since Jim Laker to take a haul of seven wickets on debut. Tom Hartley, take a bow.

What a remarkable performance from the rookie left-arm spinner and what a truly incredible win for England here to kick off this five-Test series.

It ended after a fourth day of extraordinary drama with just four balls of the extra half-hour remaining and England completing one of the greatest comebacks in Test history.

Hartley, whose maiden bowling display in Test cricket was the stuff of nightmares, had shown real character by dropping six of nine wickets and leaving India on the brink of just their fourth defeat in a home Test match in more than eleven years.

But from a low of 119 for seven, India clawed their way within sight of their target of 230 and looked likely to take the first Test at least into a fifth day as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj faced Hartley in the final were left over from the day.

Then, inexplicably, Siraj attacked Hartley’s second ball with ever-lengthening shadows in front of another large crowd, and Ben Foakes knocked the bails off. Cue delight and the most breathtaking win yet for Bazball England.

This was a turnaround beyond expectations, especially when you consider that India have won their last 16 home matches and have not lost to anyone here since Alastair Cook and Andy Flower’s victory in 2012.

Thank God, India have lost only three of their last 45 Tests at home and have never lost a home Test after leading by more than 65 in the first innings.

Firstly, after a huge deficit of 190 in the first innings, Ollie Pope gave England a hint of victory with a quite brilliant 196 in their 420, their highest score in the second innings in India.

Then Hartley, who frankly looked out of his depth during the first innings, took over to bowl better than ever before in his short and fairly modest first-class career.

Cut back to Thursday and Hartley was beaten for two sixes in his first over and 94 in total in his first nine-over spell with far too many long hops and half-trackers.

But there was a reason why Ben Stokes stuck with him and showed so much faith in him, and that is because he has such a sympathetic relationship with all his players.

Stokes backed Hartley and how he was paid back on Sunday. Hartley took the first four India wickets, the first two in three balls thanks to catches from Pope, with his opening spell of three for 21 in eight overs having previously played an impressive supporting role with the bat alongside Pope.

This was an innings that touched on Pope’s greatness and epitomized the way England are determined to play, whatever the circumstances and whatever the opposition.

Pope, returning here after the second serious shoulder injury of his career, would have been excused for being alert after struggling to score one off 11 balls in the first innings.

Not a bit of it. Instead, he swept his second ball backwards, not entirely convincingly, always trying to take the positive route throughout his 278-ball stay.

England went into the fourth day 126 ahead and Pope needed to bat for at least another hour if they were to have any chance of one of their biggest victories.

He did better than that. He batted for two hours to extend the lead to 230 and moved to within four runs of his second double century in the past year before falling trying on one of the reverse slopes – not so much a Dilscoop, more a Pope Propel – those were a feature of this innings, alongside a series of reverse sweeps.

It didn’t go smoothly. Axar Patel dismissed Pope at 110 on the third night of one of those reverse sweeps and on Sunday, KL Rahul offered him another life when Pope led Siraj straight to him at slip on 186.

Does not matter. By the time he finished, Pope had the fourth highest score of any visiting batsman in a second innings in India.

But without Hartley’s help, he wouldn’t have been able to build such a commanding lead. The Lancastrian had shown promise with the bat in the first innings before his chaste introduction with the ball and now he showed again that he will be a more than useful tail-ender.

Hartley put on 60 for the eighth wicket with Pope before the last three English wickets lost just one run, seemingly allowing India to have a slender lead in their chase of 231 even without the king of the chase Virat Kohli. Not a bit of it.

After Hartley entered, Root linked up with the important wicket of KL Rahul and Stokes produced a brilliant run-out to get rid of Ravindra Jadeja, a direct hit after hitting the ball out of the back of his hand before nonchalantly said, ‘That’s over.’

When Jack Leach, limited by the knee injury that makes him doubtful for the second Test in Visakhapatnam on Friday, found Shreyas Iyer’s edge, India were 119 for seven and seemingly down and out.

Srikar Bharat and Ravichandran Ashwin kept England at 57 as the eighth wicket ended only when Bharat was bowled by a beauty from Hartley.

India’s resistance saw England wait until Stokes asked for and got an extra half hour and it was enough – just – to secure a famous victory when both Ashwin and then, with 29 still needed, Siraj Hartley attacked and were struck dumb.

What a triumph for Bazball and what a glorious day this was for Test cricket after the West Indies earlier achieved an equally improbable victory against Australia at the Gabba.

The grand old form of the game is alive and well in Hyderabad and Brisbane.