In a move signalling confidence, England have decided that Ollie Pope will occupy the number three batting position in the forthcoming Test against India at Headingley, displacing rising talent Jacob Bethell for now.
Pope, who serves as England’s vice-captain, battled through a rough patch last year, putting his place in jeopardy. Bethell’s outstanding performance in New Zealand had sparked discussions about a possible change. However, captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have chosen to keep faith with Pope, resisting the allure of fielding the promising Bethell.
Bethell’s chance to bat at number three emerged due to absences in the squad—Jamie Smith was on paternity leave, and Jordan Cox was sidelined with a thumb injury. This reshuffle saw Pope stepping into the wicketkeeper role, managing three fifties, highlighted by a notable 96 runs in Wellington, though it appeared he was more at ease batting at number six.
Pope, however, made a strong case for himself by scoring 171 runs when he reclaimed the number three position against Zimbabwe after Bethell was unavailable due to Indian Premier League commitments. England’s director of cricket, Rob Key, openly admired the strength of choice; “two brilliant options” for a single spot, as he put it.
As for the bowling line-up, England have confirmed that Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes will lead the attack after both missed the recent victory over Zimbabwe due to injury. Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir remain in the squad, given Gus Atkinson’s ongoing hamstring issue. Captain Stokes will round out the bowling unit.
Carse, set for his first Test on home soil, shared his enthusiasm: “Headingley is an unbelievable ground…to be part of a home Test against India will be pretty exciting and I can’t wait to begin.” Despite his typical role as a change bowler, Carse is expected to take the new ball alongside Woakes this week. “There has been a little bit of discussion around that. I’m relishing that opportunity, if that is what it is,” he added.
Mention of the experienced English attack, still missing Mark Wood due to a knee issue, brought a light-hearted response from India’s Rishabh Pant. “It feels so good,” he grinned, referring to the absence of the now-retired James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Yet, he acknowledged the challenge remains, stating, “But… they have enough ammunition as an England bowling line-up.”
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
