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Ollie Pope, the vice-captain of the England Test team, spoke to the media about the upcoming five-match Test series in India, scheduled to begin from January 25 onwards. The 26-year-old remarked that England won’t be complaining about pitches spinning from ball one in India, instead, they will be trying to find a method to combat it.
The first Test match of the series between India and England will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad from January 25 onwards before the caravan moves to Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, and Ranchi. The fifth and final Test match will go down at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala from March 7 onwards.
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During his interview with the English newspaper The Guardian, Ollie Pope discussed the conditions expected in a Test match in India while comparing them to how England use home advantage in their favour in the longest format of the game. He was quoted as saying, “In England, we might leave more grass on the pitch to suit our amazing seamers, so it’s no surprise if India do the same to suit their spinners. And I actually think low-scoring Test matches are pretty amazing to watch.”
“I saw a fair bit of South Africa versus India and it was great: guys scoring seriously tough runs and the ball flying through. The scores could be similar in India but if the pitches spin from ball one we won’t be complaining. It’s about finding a method to combat it,” he added.
Ollie Pope also divulged how pitches could be a massive talking point during the five-match Test series, but both teams will be playing on the same wicket. He remarked, “There will be a lot of outside noise. And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well equipped as we can.”
Notably, Ollie Pope had a tough first Test tour to India in 2021, which saw him getting dismissed cheaply on most occasions, and he has learned his lesson from the likes of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant on how to bat on spinning pitches this time around.
