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 5th 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.
Ian Bell reacts after Sachin Tendulkar draws similarities between his and Ollie Pope’s batting style
"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)