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.
India's premier left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, outwitted England batter Ollie Pope on the first day of the ongoing fifth and final Test between India and England. Pope misread the line of the ball and was stumped by miles, leading to an early lunch for the English team. The outcome of this Test holds contrasting significance for both teams, with India aiming to consolidate their position in the World Test Championship and England looking to salvage their pride.
With the series tied at 2-1, all eyes are on the pitch as India prepares to take on England in the fourth Test in Ranchi. The previous matches in the series have shown that the team winning the toss has a significant advantage in the game. Ranchi has a history of unpredictable pitches, with some games having a low and slow wicket while others offering pace and bounce. England's number three, Ollie Pope, has given some insight into the current state of the pitch and believes India may opt for a turner and play four spinners in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. This could potentially test the techniques of the English batters and make for an interesting match.
Indian pacer Akash Deep made a strong impression in his debut Test match against England, bowling three players in his first spell. Despite a no-ball denying him a wicket, Deep went on to dismiss top players Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Zak Crawley. His performance adds to the drama of the already contentious series between India and England.
After a series of reckless shots and misjudgments by England's batsmen on the third day of the Rajkot test, India's spinners took control of the game, dismissing all five wickets in the afternoon session. The English camp's aggressive approach backfired, as they were bowled out for 319, trailing by 126 runs. Captain Joe Root and Ollie Pope were among the top performers with 75 and 68 respectively, but their efforts were not enough to match the dominance of India's spin attack. The Day 3 pitch favored spin bowling, and India's captain Rohit Sharma used this knowledge to guide his bowlers to an emphatic innings victory.