Ollie Pope left Headingley pleased but not satisfied. A ninth Test century, compiled with customary fluency and a little extra steel, has assured him the No. 3 berth for the remainder of England’s home series with India, yet the Surrey right-hander insists the job has only just begun.
“I’ve tried to let the outside noise do its thing and make sure my game keeps improving,” he reminded reporters on Sunday evening, the words coming slowly, almost as if he was still ticking over every ball he had faced during that 122 on a fresh Leeds surface.
The outside noise, of course, referred to the debate that swirled before the series. Pope’s place had looked vulnerable after a modest winter – 194 runs in five innings in New Zealand while deputising with the gloves – and the emergence of the highly-rated Jacob Bethell. Where some players might have resorted to bravado, Pope chose quieter methods.
“I’ve tried not to let it affect me too much,” he continued. “I’ve just been trying to make sure my game’s in as good a place as possible and when I get in, try to make sure I make the most of it. I’ve tried to let the outside noise do its thing and make sure my game keeps improving, and that I get my headspace in as good a place as possible too.”
The Headingley innings was notable for its tempo shift. Pope rattled to 31 from 25 balls – six boundaries in the rush – before settling into something more familiar, rotating strike as India spread their field. It was a response to two factors: a lightning fast outfield and attacking lengths from the visitors’ seamers. By stumps on day two he was 110 not out; by the following morning, undone by a Mohammed Siraj nip-backer, the total read 122 and England trailed by six.
“It’s almost just trusting my game a little bit more: not feeling like I’ve got to rush to 30 to then really feel ‘in’,” Pope explained. “It’s trying to enjoy the process of building an innings, rather than just, ‘I want to get to 30 to then make a big one’… It’s something I’ve been working hard on, just generally putting my game in a better place and making sure my defence is as good as it can be.”
Few areas have received more attention than that defence. Last year’s reverse series on the sub-continent brought a fine 196 in Hyderabad but ended with four single-figure scores and a battery of questions about his technique to the ball that nips back. Over the winter he worked with Surrey’s batting consultant Gareth Batty on keeping his head still at the moment of release; coaches say the front pad now makes a cleaner line towards mid-on rather than third slip.
Numbers bear small witness. This was Pope’s second century in as many Tests – the first, 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, owed plenty to friendlier bowling but still demanded patience against a softer Kookaburra ball. Previously he had never reached three figures twice in the same series.
“It’s a long series, and there’s a lot to be done in this game still as well,” he said. “It’s definitely [an innings] that I really enjoyed. It was disappointing not to kick on this morning, but I’m really happy with how I went about it and played, and I’m happy with where my game’s at – so hopefully, I can kick on.”
England will hope the same from their lower order, whose cameos shaved India’s lead to a manageable figure. Chris Woakes scrambled 29, Brydon Carse 24, both refusing to be cowed by spin late on a wearing pitch.
Pope felt those runs mattered more than numbers on a scoreboard. Their effect, he argued, was psychological: a small dent in the tourists’ growing confidence. “Those 30-odd runs our tail chipped in felt really important,” he said later in the evening gloom. “[A deficit of] 40 or 50, just from a mindset, might have given them a little bit more confidence, knowing that they’ve got that little cushion.”
By the close of day three, India’s top order had wiped out the arrears. Rohit Sharma’s methodical 53 and Shubman Gill’s elegant 41 guided them to 88 for 0, a lead of 82 with seven sessions left. The contest remains balanced: a slow wicket, uneven bounce from the Rugby Stand end, and a forecast of brighter skies promising old-school Test intrigue.
Former England opener Mark Butcher, commentating for Test Match Special, believes Pope’s influence may stretch beyond mere runs. “He’s batting at No. 3 like he owns it, which harks back to the best days of Trott and Bell. That calmness filters down the order,” Butcher said.
Statisticians might note Pope already averages 54 at home, only five fewer than Joe Root across the Pennines. Such comparisons are premature, yet in the dressing-room his voice carries new weight. He has kept his place the hard way, by scoring, not talking.
Asked whether the century guarantees security, he shrugged. “Not really. I know how quickly the game moves on. The only currency is runs, so the plan is simple: runs after runs after runs.”
The mantra suits England’s current approach. Batting coach Marcus Trescothick, never one for complicated theories, summed it up before nets on Saturday: “Play straight, trust your eyes, leave ego at the door.”
Pope appears to have taken that advice and run with it. The task, as he readily admits, is to keep running.
