At the end of 2022, Ollie Pope was publicly announced as Ben Stokes’ vice-captain for the first time after the defeat of Pakistan in Rawalpindi, the closest rival to England’s win in Hyderabad. . Stokes did not have an official deputy at the time, but Pope would step into a leadership role if the virus sweeping through the camp prevented the captain from playing.
Eyebrows raised. After all, their backstories suggest they were a very different pair of cricketers: a hyperactive, academic-averse kid from working-class Workington who was replaced by Durham while playing for Cumbria. Discovery, while Pope was born in Chelsea and attended Philadelphia University. – paid Cranley’s salary and enjoyed a largely frictionless rise up the Surrey hierarchy.
But on Sunday, their white jerseys were caked with mud and sweat as they sat side by side inside the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium for the post-match press conference following a stunning 28-run victory over India in their own backyard. result. This reminds us that this difference means little. As far as cricketing prospects go, they increasingly look the same.
Of course, Stokes thought so when he confirmed Pope for his role early last summer. consultant. He also strongly backed Pope as captain 12 months ago, insisting that he must return after a chaotic Ashes tour, and then began to convince Pope that he could occupy the third place despite having no previous experience. . On the first descent.
Stokes’ two displays of confidence paid off handsomely over the course of the first Test, with Pope playing a central role in the great transformation as both leader and batsman. Before the start of the third day, England were three wickets away from batting again and were already 175 runs behind, and Pope addressed the team before taking the field.
Given that the first-innings defeat was a bit unsettling and that it was Pope’s first Test since requiring surgery for a dislocated shoulder he suffered at Lord’s, the 26-year-old could be forgiven for looking inward. Instead, his speech was distinctly clear and firm, telling his teammates to just focus on the moment rather than focusing on game status.
True to his word, a brilliant 196-ball haul in six hours, aided by lower-order players, against one of the world’s premier spin attacks, has almost entered English folklore. This gushing rhetoric doesn’t just come from English lips either, even if Joe Root calls it India’s “new benchmark”, that’s quite remarkable considering his own prowess in Asian conditions.
“I have not seen a better sweep and counter-sweep performance than the quality of bowling in these conditions,” said India head coach and all-time great Rahul Dravid. Unlike his captain Rohit Sharma, Dravid admitted that there is an urgent need to revise plans. Rohit Sharma says he doesn’t pay attention to his opponents.
Stokes wasn’t taking his hands off the tiller. It has his fingerprints all over it. It was his 14th win in 19 as a full-time Test captain and, as he said, his greatest yet. Given the resources at his disposal – further reduced by Jack Leach’s knee injury – it’s hard to imagine anyone else being up to the task.
A lot of this goes back to the handling of Tom Hartley on night one, pushing the rookie to the other side from Yashasvi Jaiswal. “That’s the confidence he has,” said the 24-year-old, who sealed the match with figures of 7 for 62, the debutant spinner’s third five-wicket haul under Stokes. “The way he makes you strong, there are no negative thoughts, it’s all positive.
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Asked if he had previously taken over much of England under Stokes and head coach Brendan McCullum, Hartley replied: “I looked at it for a moment and they did Some hooliganism.” “After playing this Test match, I gave it my all. Even before, I was happy and I gave it my all no matter what. They brought so much confidence and life.”
Of course, there is a kind of stubbornness at work here, too. Despite knowing it would cause grief, the team traveled to Abu Dhabi for a pre-series training camp (as was the case with Pakistan before). According to Hartley, the ability to tailor pitches to order is crucial, and the week started out mediocre and became more erratic as the trip went on.
Pope was said to have particularly enjoyed this inning, and the results were there for all to see. It was a high-risk innings, but Stokes knew he could deliver on his promise when he recalled him.
The skipper is looking much better in action after knee surgery – as evidenced by day four athlete Ravindra Jadeja – and he remains committed to leading this Test squad for some time . But when the day comes, if it’s the pope who steps up, a different backstory doesn’t necessarily mean a different approach.
