England’s cricket world record sparks rule change storm

Debate is raging in the cricket world after England used a controversial tactic to turn their Test against India on its head.

England has set a world record as the tourists turned the opening Test against India on its head.

Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 148 on Saturday night set a new batting benchmark in Indian conditions and left former captain Joe Root “speechless”.

The problem is that the star batter deployed a controversial tactic to thwart India’s world-class spin attack.

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The visitors were in trouble at 163-5 after starting their second innings behind by 190 when Pope made the day his own with a knock for the ages in Hyderabad.

Pope took on the Indian spinners with back-and-forth sweeps in a batting marathon including a 112-run sixth-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

England finished the day on 316-6, a lead of 126 runs, to leave the Indian bowling attack searching for answers after early wickets.

England batsman Ollie Pope plays a reverse sweep. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images.

His success with the reverse sweep has raised eyebrows with cries for a rule change to stop batsmen from changing their stance emerging.

England great Kevin Pietersen and leading cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle clashed over the issue during the TV commentary and carried their debate onto Twitter, now known as X.

The issue has been debated countless times previously with calls for bowlers to have the option of switching which side of the stumps they bowl from — or even changing hand — while batsmen have the same options up the other end.

It has also been pointed out that the reverse sweep protects batsmen from facing LBW dismissals for deliveries that pitch outside leg stump.

“It’s 3:25 local time and I’m off downstairs because your talking rubbish,” Pietersen told Bhogle on air.

Pietersen wasn’t backing down on Twitter.

Bhogle responded: “Absolute nonsense! If you want to switch hit allow a bowler to bowl with both hands. Because something is difficult, it doesn’t make it acceptable.

“The bowler has to inform the umpire if he wants to bowl left handed, the batsman must have the same condition. May the debate continue.”

India didn’t gave an answer to Pope’s reverse sweep on Saturday and, according to CricViz, the tourists have already set a world record of 57 runs with the stroke this Test. They still have four wickets in the shed to add to that total.

Ollie Pope celebrates his century. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images.

It’s a tactic England will surely use more and more throughout the series.

Root’s own mastery of the sweep and reverse has seen him successfully counter spin on sub-continent tracks, but he said Pope’s knock had shifted the standards.

“I’m not any more. I think that’s the benchmark,” Root said.

“I might have scored a few runs in the sub-continent. But not on a surface like that against an attack like that. Honestly, that was really special today and it gives a lot of confidence to the rest of the group as well.”

“It’s an absolute masterclass on how to bat in these conditions as an overseas player,” Root told reporters.

“Someone that’s not exposed to these surfaces day in day out and to come back off a serious injury like he had in summer and have that amount of time out of the game and then put together that... I’m speechless.”

Root, who has scored over 11,000 runs at an average of over 50 in 136 Tests, added: “It’s one of the best knocks that I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a lot of cricket.

“To witness that today was really special. I’m so, so pleased for him.” Pope struck his fifth Test ton and first against India to stand calm after England lost key batsmen including Root (two), Jonny Bairstow (10) and skipper Ben Stokes (six).

— with AFP