Ollie Pope hit a century in the opening Test match against India, giving England a 126-run advantage. England reached 316-6 at the end of the third day in their second innings, with Pope still undefeated at 148. India had a 190-run lead at the end of their opening half. After a rough beginning, the partnership between Ben Foakes and Pope steadied the innings. Joe Root was pleased with Pope's performance and said England could compete in these circumstances. Pope played a vital innings that successfully repelled India's spin attack. At 110 runs in his innings, he survived a dropped catch off Axar Patel. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah of India each took two wickets.

Zak Crawley was an early casualty to Ashwin's bowling, but England made a strong start, reaching 89-1 by lunch, mainly due to Ben Duckett's aggressive batting. However, Bumrah's performance after lunch tilted the game in India's favor as he removed Duckett and Root. Jadeja and Ashwin also chipped in with crucial wickets, with Ashwin dismissing Stokes for the 12th time in Tests. India's bowling coach emphasized that the pitch still provided opportunities for the bowlers, and they aimed to wrap up England's innings swiftly.

On day four, India resumed their innings at 421-7, and Jadeja and Axar cautiously added runs before Jadeja fell to Root, who then bowled Bumrah on the next delivery. However, Mohammed Siraj prevented a hat-trick. Jadeja was India's top scorer with 87 runs. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed concluded India's innings by dismissing Axar on 44. Jack Leach, who was nursing an injury, briefly returned to the field.