If you’ve been following the England vs India Test Series, you will be familiar with B3 Ambassador Tom Hartley’s impact on the first Test!
After being thrown the new ball by Captain Stokes, Tom couldn’t have had a worse start, with his first ball in Test cricket getting smashed for six by Indian prodigy Jaiswal. He finished with two wickets for 131 runs in the first innings but also scored a creditable 23 runs batting at 9, including an imperious six off his B3 Signum from our Series Range of bats.
England looked destined to defeat after the first innings 190 run deficit. However, a brilliant 196 from Ollie Pope set the England bowlers up with a chance to claim victory. Enter stage, Tom Hartley, who took advantage of the turning pitch and used his height and spin to torment the India batters. His exceptional bowling spell saw Tom’s incredible return of 7 wickets for just 62 runs, securing victory for England by 28 runs. These incredible figures set a new record for an England spinner in their first Test match.
While Tom’s bowling was the highlight of the match, he also showed his skills and determination with the bat, as well as his 23 runs in the first innings, he played a key partnership with Ollie Pope, in the second innings. Tom made a solid 34 runs, showing the world that he has the potential to become a genuine allrounder in the England Test team.
India has since won the second Test, and we hope to see more success for Tom in the remaining 3 Tests, which will be great viewing.