Stand-in England captain Ollie Pope is ready to hand the role back to Ben Stokes despite an experience he has “loved” as the all-rounder’s deputy during the 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka.
Surrey’s Pope answered questions about his form with his seventh Test century on the first day of the third Test at The Oval but was left with mixed feelings after Sri Lanka won the final encounter between the teams of the summer, helped by an unbeaten 127 from Pathum Nissanka.
“We felt like we were in a really good position after two days,” Pope told BBC Test Match Special. “We didn’t bat our best, which can happen, and didn’t bowl our best.
“But we should have been able to put a lot more on the board. That’s cricket: it’s a game of fine margins.
“This game for some reason just didn’t quite come off.”
England captain Ollie Pope reflects on his side’s Test match loss to Sri Lanka 💬 pic.twitter.com/wa2gzpm56t
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 9, 2024
“Essentially, we had a poor day three. Credit to Sri Lanka for the way they bowled. It was a brilliant knock from Nissanka.”
Sri Lanka ended a run of seven straight defeats in the fixture with a first Test win in England since 2014.
Not the perfect end to the summer but Ollie Pope’s first series as Test captain is a successful one 🏆#ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/mfsPvLoIOU
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 9, 2024
Ben Stokes: Captain role ‘all his’
Stokes is expected to return for the Test series against Pakistan, which starts in Multan on October 7.
The 33-year-old sustained a left hamstring tear while playing in the Hundred on August 13, leading to Pope, who is seven years his junior, taking charge.
“Whenever Ben’s ready, it’s all his,” said Pope. “I’ve loved the last three weeks. It’s come with its challenges and there’s been a lot of chat about my form. The fact that I’ve been captain has enhanced that.
“I’ve loved trying to take 20 wickets and lead the boys from the front. It’s not the clean sweep we wanted but to get the series win is a proud moment.”
Ollie Pope – The first batter in history to score his first seven Test hundreds against different opposition.
Take a bow, Ollie 🤝 pic.twitter.com/37hYVSfiN2
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 6, 2024
England vs Sri Lanka: Pope ‘balance’
“It was a new role for me and [a case of] trying to get the balance right,” added Pope. “I think I did that better in [the third Test].
“When it’s in a losing cause, it doesn’t feel quite the same. I was proud of myself for the way I dealt with all the chat around the series. That’s my biggest improvement over the last couple of years. “
