Root, Pope steady England
August 21, 2018 16:38
Eng 62-2 (22 ovs); Target to win: 521 | Scorecard
Pope pushing at the deliveries, at times playing away from his body, to defend against the two pacers.
Bumrah dragging him wide as Pope defends but offers no shot to the next, which is a touch more wide.
Bumrah gets his line wrong, bowling one way down the leg side as Pope flicks it fine on the leg side for a four.
India make their first bowling change of Mohammed Shami replaces Ishant, who bowled a superb spell first up to dismiss both the England openers.
Shami also drifts on the pads as Root clips it through square leg for his first boundary.
Two balls later, the pacer overpitches as Root flays it through the covers for another four and keeps strike with one from the last ball of the over.
A stiff looking Ashwin, who has been struggling with some injury, has come out on to the field.
Bumrah attempts a short ball but Root is quick to read the length as he pulls it to fine leg for a single.
Pope is nearly done in by one which comes in sharply and hits him on the pads but after he got a slight inside edge.
In the next over, Shami forces Root to play away from his body, who is beaten, before he takes a single on the off-side from the last ball.
Root and Pope have steadied England somewhat after the two early wickets to take the score to 62 for two in 22 overs.
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