England vice-captain Ollie Pope has tried to maintain his calm amidst the ongoing debate surrounding his place in the starting XI. Despite scoring a century in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, his role at No. 3 came under the scanner, especially with Jacob Bethell also in contention.
However, the team backed Pope, and he responded with a sparkling century in the first innings of the Leeds Test against India, top-scoring under challenging conditions against a high-quality bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah.
Pope blocking outside noises
“I’ve tried not to pay too much attention to the outside noise,” Pope said during the post-day press conference on Sunday. “My focus has been on keeping my game in the best possible shape. When I get the opportunity, it’s about making the most of it. I’ve worked on staying mentally strong and improving my game, rather than worrying about what’s being said externally.”
Pope also spoke about a shift in mindset that has helped him approach his innings with more clarity.
“I’ve been trying to trust my game a bit more — not rushing to get to 30 just to feel settled. It’s about embracing the process of building an innings instead of putting pressure on myself to reach a certain score before feeling ‘in’.”
In the previous Test series against India, Pope started strong with a brilliant 196 in the opening Test, but his form dipped after that, managing just 40 runs across the remaining four matches. This time around, he is determined to capitalise on his strong start and contribute consistently throughout the series.