Ollie Pope made the most of his home comforts to re-establish his middle order credentials and push England ’s noses in front in the 4th Test.
But they missed out on the chance to take total control with India already fighting back in their second innings of a captivating contest.
A confidently compiled top score of 81 from Pope put the meat on the bones of England’s first innings 290, before Chris Woakes added the flavour that extended their lead to 99 by the time he was the last man out for 50 exactly.
Both Pope and Woakes are playing in their first match of this series and showing why, they are both deserving of places in England’s best Test side.
Injury kept them both on the sidelines at the start of this series, but it is surely inconceivable that either man should now be left out when fit as Pope was from the 2nd and 3rd Test teams.
Some might argue that the 23-year-old Surrey starlet only scored runs because the game is being played at his home ground, and they might have a point.
After all, he averaged over 100 in first class games here when he walked out to the middle.
That number dropped to the more than passable 99.4 by the time he chopped a wide ball from Shardul Thakur on to his stumps trying to run it down to third man.
But Pope’s familiarity with a ground on which he has scored seven of his eleven first class hundreds doesn’t detract from the fact that he was also in the middle with England teetering on 62-5 and in danger of conceding a hefty deficit to the tourists.
By the time he eventually gifted his wicket to Thakur he had combined smartly with Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and then Woakes to take England into a lead that grew further still.
Frenetic at the start. Fidgety, and excitable in his movements, Pope was clearly a little nervous after missing the previous three games.
But once the outstanding Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav were given a rest having got rid of nightwatchman Craig Overton and Dawid Malan, Pope and Bairstow tucked in.
Their partnership of 89 flew along at four runs per over much to the delight of a crowd fearful of another England collapse.
But even after Bairstow was beaten by one that nipped back from Mohammed Siraj when he had made 37, Moeen kept the momentum going with a useful 35.
It was Woakes though who turned England’s advantage into something far more substantial with an innings that brought back memories of his match-winning 84 not out against Pakistan last summer.
Of course, his last first-class innings before this one was also last summer, which essentially proves that the need for red ball game time before a Test match is a myth - as long as you are as good as, or better than Woakes.
As England have found out though, not many players are and with an average of 36 with the bat and 22 with the ball at home, Woakes’ place in the pantheon of great English all rounders is moving steadily northwards.
In 16 overs before the close, Jimmy Anderson should have had Rohit Sharma snaffled by Rory Burns at 2nd slip when he had made just six, but he didn’t even get a hand to it as it cannoned into his boot. That’s five dropped catches already in a tight game.
