England recover from first-day jitters to stun India in first Test
- Planet Sport writer
- 28 January 2024
England recovered from a poor first innings to beat India by just 29 runs in the first Test, led by a magnificent performance by debutant Tom Hartley in the final innings.
Earlier in the match Hartley had seen his first ball as a Test cricketer launched for six but he showed huge reserves of steel to bounce back with stunning figures of seven for 62 in the fourth innings to seal a dramatic 28-run victory.
The unheralded 24-year-old, selected for this trip as a hunch pick, came into match with a career-best haul of five for 52 for Lancashire and left it a hero after he wrapped up the last wicket in the final over of the fourth day.
England looked on course for a thumping defeat after conceding a 190-run first-innings deficit but refused to back down with bat or ball and condemned India to just a fourth home defeat in over a decade.
Ollie Pope provided the platform with a heroic 196, leaving India with a tough chase of 231 on a worn pitch, and with lead spinner Jack Leach restricted by a knee injury Hartley stepped up in unforgettable fashion.
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