On a third day of the first Test between Pakistan and England, Joe Root and Harry Brook shined with their unbeaten centuries to lead England's strong reply. Earlier, Pakistan's total of 556 was boosted by a fiery century from Agha Salman and steady contributions from Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique. Despite a second-ball duck from stand-in captain Ollie Pope, England remains in a solid position to avoid a follow-on with 261 runs still needed.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood has warned his team to not underestimate England despite the absence of their star captain Ben Stokes, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury. England, led by Ollie Pope, have proven they are still a strong team after a successful series against Sri Lanka. The first test match between Pakistan and England will kick off in Multan on Monday.
In the ongoing first test between Pakistan and England in Multan, the visitors suffered another injury setback as opener Ben Duckett dislocated his thumb while taking a catch on the field. With several key players already dealing with injuries, England faced a tough challenge as they struggled to contain the Pakistani batting line-up, which put up a mammoth total of 556 runs in their first innings. Despite some brilliant fielding efforts, including a one-handed stunner by Aamer Jamal to dismiss Ollie Pope, England was unable to turn things around and were under pressure at the end of day two.
England's bowlers, led by Ollie Pope, put up a tough fight against Pakistan on day one of the first Test in Multan. Despite managing to take four wickets, the hosts still posted a formidable total of 328-4 thanks to impressive century partnerships from captain Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique. The bowlers, including Gus Atkinson and Jack Leach, gave it their all in the sweltering heat and received praise from Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain for their efforts.
England's Ollie Pope made headlines with his blistering knock of 150, the fastest at The Oval, before being dismissed for 325 on day two of the third Test against Sri Lanka. Debutant Josh Hull also left his mark by claiming his first Test wicket, while bad light and the contentious issue of players being called off the field due to darkness continued to frustrate both teams. Despite a late comeback by Sri Lanka's captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis, England still holds a first-innings lead but their lower-order collapse in the final six wickets brought some fight from Sri Lanka's side.
England's stand-in captain, Ollie Pope, achieved a remarkable feat on Day 1 of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval. Pope, who was leading the team in the absence of injured Ben Stokes, scored an unbeaten century and became the first player in Test cricket to score his first seven centuries against seven different teams. The 26-year-old batsman's first Test century came against South Africa in 2020, and since then, he has scored six more against New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, India, and West Indies.
In his first innings as captain against Sri Lanka, Ollie Pope returned to form with a dominating performance, scoring a run-a-ball 103 not out during England's well-placed 221-3 on the opening day of the third Test. This was his seventh Test century and a historic one as each of his first seven centuries came against different opponents. Despite a strong start, England's opener Ben Duckett was unable to make the most of his innings, giving away his wicket on 86. Duckett praised Pope's ability to ignore the noise and criticism around his leadership and batting, proving his critics wrong with a stellar performance.
After a run of low scores, England captain Ollie Pope made a stunning return to form with a dominant unbeaten 103 in the third and final test against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Along with Ben Duckett's fluent 86, their partnership led England to a strong position of 221-3, making Sri Lanka regret their decision to bowl first in overcast conditions.
The England men's selection panel has announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming three-match Rothesay Test series against Sri Lanka. Captain Ben Stokes, as well as Zak Crawley and seam bowler Dillion Pennington, have been ruled out due to injuries. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will lead the team in Stokes' absence, while Surrey's Jordan Cox earns his first call-up to the squad. Nottinghamshire seamer Olly Stone also returns to the Test squad after a three-year absence.
On the opening day of James Anderson's farewell test at Lord's, debutant Gus Atkinson took center stage with an impressive 7-45, helping England take a 68-run lead over West Indies. The home of cricket, expecting to pay tribute to Anderson, instead witnessed the Surrey pacer dominating the tourists' batting lineup. And even though Anderson dismissed the final West Indies batsman to take England's field, the day belonged to Atkinson with a record-breaking performance in his debut test match. Adding to England's commanding position was half-centuries from Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, giving them a solid 189-3 lead by stumps. Atkinson's impressive debut puts him in the company of only five other bowlers to take a five-for on debut under Ben Stokes' captaincy.