Ben Dock on Oli Pope’s Roaring Hundred against India in 1 Test

When Ollie Pope punched Jasprit Bumrah off his pads for a single to reach his ninth Test century, the celebration that followed – leap, shout, fist-pump – gave away just how much the moment meant. After weeks of external noise and internal doubt, Pope made his bat do the talking. There were some talks about having Pope dropped for exciting talent Jacob Bethell but England persisted with the vice-captain.

Ben Duckett on Pope’s ton

While speaking after the day’s play, English opener Ben Duckett lauded Pope’s ton and pointed out what the entire dressing room felt after his hundred. It was goosebumps when he got his hundred,” said Ben Duckett, who added 122 with Pope for the second wicket. “You could see what it meant to him. It meant a huge amount in the dressing room as well.”

Pope’s innings has been phenomenal thus far. He had scored 171 against Zimbabwe in his previous outing, but that didn’t stop whispers about Jacob Bethell’s speculation around Pope’s No. 3 spot. Even vice-captaincy didn’t shield him. Stokes’ muddled remarks and Brendon McCullum’s reluctance to confirm the batting order didn’t help. But when the moment came, Pope cut through it with a composed yet courageous knock.

Walking in at 4 for 1 on a cloudy Leeds afternoon, facing Jasprit Bumrah in peak rhythm, Pope had few tougher settings to prove his worth. He started with a confident flick off Siraj to the boundary and kept the tempo up, racing to 31 off 25. “He probably couldn’t walk out in tougher conditions,” Duckett said. “Jasprit running down the hill with the lights on. There’s no better feeling than that, scoring 100 against that attack after coming out at four for one. You can see that in the way he celebrated but it didn’t just mean a lot to him, it meant a huge amount in the dressing room as well.“

Pope’s innings wasn’t flawless as he survived a tight LBW and a dropped catch on 60. But his intent never wavered. He ended Day 2 unbeaten on 100, something he can build on. Pope knows how to score big ones against India, having racked up 196 in Hyderabad last year. Now, Pope has his second Test ton against India, giving England a massive hope in this Test match. The hosts are currently trailing by 262 runs, with seven wickets in hand going on Day 3.