IND v ENG 2021: Ollie Pope added to England Test squad for India series

Pope had suffered a shoulder dislocation in August last year.

England Cricket Board has added Surrey batsman Ollie Pope to the Test squad for the upcoming India Test series. The two teams will be playing a series of four-Tests starting February 5^th in Chennai. The first two Tests will be played in Chennai and the last two in Ahmedabad.

Pope, the 23-year-old middle-order batsman, suffered a dislocated shoulder while fielding in the final Test of the English summer in August which subsequently required surgery. It was the second time he had suffered a dislocation to the shoulder.

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"Pope has fully recovered from a left shoulder injury sustained in August 2020 against Pakistan. The England medical team is satisfied that he is available for selection. The 23-year-old has practiced with the full squad over the past two days," said an official statement.

The return of the middle-order batsman gives England more options for selection with the likes of Dan Lawrence and Moeen Ali also in contention for a spot in the line-up. Pope has been traveling with the England side on tours of Sri Lanka and India and now has officially become a part of the squad.

(ecb.co.uk inputs)