Finally, right here at Trent Bridge, nearly 4 years since he made his debut in opposition to India, Pope delivered on his promise with a primary Test century at dwelling. It got here in solely his third first-class innings at No. 3, having been recalled following a troublesome winter and anointed as soon as once more as English batting’s nice whites hope. Could he reduce it within the pivotal spot within the order, the place some say your greatest batter must be deployed? To borrow from the Obama marketing campaign as soon as once more: “Yes he can!”
England’s present regime, overseen by Stokes and Brendon McCullum, is all about pumping the gamers’ tyres, however there might be no larger confidence-booster than truly producing the products. Despite the flatness of the floor, and situations in Nottingham that continued to be on the fill-your-boots aspect of hospitable, there have been nonetheless moments when Pope’s approach and temperament had been examined. An assault that includes Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson hardly ever provides up simple runs.
Pope had reached fifty on the second night, having survived a pointy probability to first slip off Boult, and England’s batting coach, Marcus Trescothick, emphasised the religion being positioned within the 24-yr-previous, who had by no means beforehand batted at first drop earlier than final week’s Lord’s Test.
“That’s what we see a lot in county games, and if we can draw that out and continue to let him grow in that position, then we know the player that’s in there,” Trescothick mentioned. “Hence the reason why he’s in the team, and we’ve pushed him up to No. 3, because we all appreciate that he has the talent. It’s nurturing it and bringing it through to be the player he can be.”
Few would have predicted the next slide however, both aspect of a shoulder operation, his returns dried up whereas considerations about his approach grew. After the winter’s Ashes ended with Pope being scuttled by Pat Cummins, bowled behind his legs so as to add to English ignominy, his common had fallen beneath 30 and he was relegated to carrying drinks within the Caribbean.
Watch Pope bat for any size of time and you can be left in little doubt about his capability to ping photographs across the floor. But coming in at No. 3 in Test cricket is just more likely to enhance the scrutiny on that aforementioned choice-making – as his dismissals for 7 and 10 at Lord’s made clear. The ball from Boult that did for him within the second innings, a searing seam-and-swing skidoosh into off stump, had the air of the unplayable; however Pope’s skittering ft and barely closed bat face urged there might need been higher methods to try to play it.
At Trent Bridge, in additional benign circumstances, it was once more Boult and his left-arm interrogation that will show Pope’s biggest problem. The eighth ball he had confronted, after coming in early on the second night, produced a waft within the channel that might solely do Pope injury, and it was Boult who discovered the sting firstly of his second spell, just for Daryl Mitchell to spill the catch going low to his left.
That let-off got here throughout an adrenalin-fuelled counter, primarily off the bowling of Henry, wherein Pope zipped from 11 to 50 within the area off 22 balls. Two high-edged hooks flew into the stands, however there have been a number of extra genuine strokes apart from, Jamieson drilled via the covers after which reduce away for 2 fours within the area of three balls to finish his first Test half-century since final September.
He resumed on a balmy Sunday morning with little doubt about what one other expectant full home hoped to see. With Alex Lees offering optimistic vibes on the different finish, enthusiastically cowl-driving his method to a primary Test fifty, Pope was capable of ease himself again in. There had been a few anxious fiddles at Boult, one other exterior edge falling narrowly wanting Mitchell, earlier than an authoritative response three balls later as he stroked his first boundary of the day.
For some time, as Lees’ cowl drive introduced his downfall and Root made a sometimes busy begin to his innings, Pope was becalmed, dealing with simply 28 balls throughout a 15-over interval within the lead-as much as lunch. He went into the interval on 84, however did not dally after the resumption, aided by 4 overthrows after which gliding via the 90s within the area of seven balls. The elation, and the reduction, was palpable as Pope’s helmet got here off, the bat swung vigorously in celebration. England’s coming man had lastly arrived.
There was time for some enjoyable afterwards, as Pope and Root seemed to make good on Neville Cardus’ assertion that Trent Bridge was “a lotus land for batsmen, a place where it was always afternoon and 360 for two wickets”. Henry was ramped for six, then thrashed impudently for 4 extra after switching ends. Root slipstreamed his method to a 116-ball hundred, earlier than Pope finally fell to a different attacking stroke after tea.
Pope walked off as solely the third man aside from Root to attain a Test hundred at No. 3 for England for the reason that retirement of Jonathan Trott in 2015. The HOPE within the dressing room now’s that there can be just a few extra to return.