Trisha Ghosal in London
A sweltering Day 1 at Lord’s saw England bat at a pedestrian three runs per over — a throwback to pre-Bazball Test cricket. Joe Root’s unbeaten 99 was the anchor as England reached 250/4 after choosing to bat first. Despite early movement, India couldn’t fully capitalise, while England, cautious and calculated, ground their way through. After play, Ollie Pope addressed the press and tackled questions on tempo, tactics, spin, and more.
Bazball gone missing? Or just adapting to the conditions?
With whispers of “classic cricket” echoing from the comm box to the opposition, Pope acknowledged the tonal shift. “We’re trying to get better at reading situations,” he said. “This wasn’t a surface where you could come out swinging. The Indian attack held their lengths and made it hard to score.”
He admitted the team’s instinct is to attack but added, “We’re learning when to press the button and when to absorb pressure. It’s not about abandoning Bazball, it’s about evolving.”
On taking so many balls to reach 30: Tactical or forced?
Pope was reminded it was the second slowest 30 of his career. He chuckled: “I didn’t even feel in rhythm today, to be honest. The ball was swinging before lunch, and the surface was spongy. You just had to ride it out.”
He stressed that absorbing pressure was part of his development, adding, “Not every innings needs to be flashy. This one demanded patience.”
On spin, Root’s 99, and the slow Lord’s surface
Pope was candid about Ravindra Jadeja’s delivery that dismissed him: “It turned more than I expected. Frustrated with the shot, yes, but that’s cricket.”
About Root missing a ton overnight
“I’m sure he’s not sleepless. The bloke has 36 hundreds. He’ll be aiming to make it a monster tomorrow.”
On the pitch
The pitch, Pope noted, was not ideal for England’s strengths. “We prefer pace and carry to bring our swing bowlers into play. This was slow. Maybe more subcontinent than traditional Lord’s.”
Why bat first then?
In a rare move, England chose to set a target rather than chase. Pope explained, “It’s 28 degrees in England. That’s rare. So we expected deterioration. The plan is to get 400-500 and let the pitch play tricks by Day 4 or 5.”
Whether this cautious shift was a blip or the beginning of a new chapter in Bazball remains to be seen. But England, for now, are playing the long game.
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