Ollie Pope Takes Charge as England Faces India in Final Test at The Oval

Ollie Pope Steps Up as Stand-In Captain

As England prepares to battle India in the concluding Test at The Oval, all eyes are on local hero Ollie Pope, who will serve as the stand-in captain due to Ben Stokes' shoulder injury.

Stokes has been ruled out of this crucial match after an impressive series where he amassed 304 runs and claimed 17 wickets. His remarkable performances included two 'Player of the Match' awards at Lord's and Old Trafford, where he notably scored a century and achieved a five-wicket haul in one game.

Pope previously took on the captaincy last year when Stokes was sidelined with a hamstring issue, leading the team to three victories and one defeat. His wins included two against Sri Lanka at home and one against Pakistan in Multan, with the only loss occurring at The Oval against Sri Lanka.

At The Oval, Pope has demonstrated a strong performance, accumulating 322 runs in six innings at an impressive average of 64.40, including a century and two half-centuries. However, England has faced defeat in two of the three Tests played at this venue.

As a captain, Pope's batting statistics have been modest. In four matches and seven innings, he has scored 191 runs, averaging just over 27, with a standout performance of 154 runs in a single innings against Sri Lanka, although that match ended in a loss for England.

Throughout the series, the 27-year-old has had a mixed bag of results, scoring 257 runs in four Tests at an average of 36.71, including one century and one half-century, with his highest score being 106.

Pope has established himself as a dependable number three batsman for England, having scored 2,281 runs in 32 Tests at that position, averaging 42.24, with eight centuries and eight half-centuries across 55 innings. His highest score to date is 205.