Some of the messaging from the England camp can sound delusional at times but internally it clearly has merit. They approached the third day here as if memories of the previous two had been wiped like a politician’s WhatsApps, a sublime century from Ollie Pope pushing back against India when all hope seemed lost.
Whether this would add up to anything but a 1-0 lead for the hosts remained to be seen at the close, England reaching 316 for six and 126 runs ahead on a pitch yet to break up. But the fact nothing was settled was to their credit, likewise the architect being one of the players who looked so lost on that bleak pandemic tour of India three years ago.
