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.
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.
KL Rahul's costly drop of English batsman Ollie Pope helped England set a target of 231 runs for India to chase on the final day of the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Pope, who was the only centurion of the match, was put down by Rahul at slips off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling when he was at 186 runs. England, who won the toss and chose to bat, were bowled out for 246 runs in the first innings, with Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja taking three wickets each. Ben Stokes top-scored with 70 runs for the visitors.
England's vice-captain, Ollie Pope, put up a strong fight on Day 4 of the first Test against India, but fell short of a double century as he was dismissed on 196 by Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah. With this wicket, India was able to limit England to 420 runs in their second innings, taking a lead of 231 runs. India now has a target of 231 to chase in the final innings of the Test match.
Ollie Pope's impressive century, along with contributions from Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, and Zak Crawley, has given England a 126-run lead over India on Day 3 of the 1st Test. England's disciplined bowling performance dismissed India for 436, adding just 15 runs to their overnight lead. Pope's resilience and strategic use of the reverse sweep shot have put England in a strong position to dominate the match. India will need to pick up quick wickets on Day 4 to prevent England from building an even larger lead.
Ollie Pope's unbeaten 148 on day three of the first Test against India left his captain Joe Root and other England teammates in awe. Root described Pope's innings as an "absolute masterclass", a fitting description for the player who hit 17 fours in his career-best knock. Despite being sidelined for six months due to shoulder surgery and facing a world-class bowling attack on an unpredictable pitch, Pope single-handedly carried England to a 126-run lead in their second innings.
Ollie Pope's impressive knock of 148* in the second innings helped England establish a lead of 126 runs and counting on Day 3 of the first Test in Hyderabad. Former England captain, Joe Root, described it as one of the best knocks he's ever seen, and praised Pope's leadership and the new approach brought in by the current crop of England batters. At stumps, England leads by 126 runs with four wickets in hand.