“Some people have often played the reverse sweep, gaining much admiration, as Ollie Pope did in front of 30,000 mesmerized fans in Hyderabad. About three years ago, Ollie Pope scored a stylish 91 runs – his second-highest Test score – earning unexpected praise from none other than Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar tweeted that Pope has modeled his batting on Ian Bell’s. The Indian maestro said, ‘His stance and footwork look just like Bell’s.’
England’s renowned right-handed batsman Bell has scored over 7,000 runs in 118 Test matches with an average of 42.69, boasting a highest score of 235 and 22 centuries. So, for a young man to be compared to a skilled batsman like him, especially on his tenth Test, should be exciting.
On Saturday, during England’s first Test against India in Hyderabad, Pope came into the limelight with his batting in the second innings. This 26-year-old batsman faced challenges initially and had to tackle the spin of R Ashwin from the past, but there is no sign of uncertainty or indecision as he displayed a splendid performance at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
This isn’t the type of masterclass that can be easily replicated. It wasn’t built around conventional cover drives, crisp back-foot punches, or elegant flicks around the square leg and mid-wicket. It wasn’t about timing and placement either. Instead, he used the reverse sweep as his foundation, a weapon that diverted India’s adept three-dimensional spin attack.
The reverse sweep is not a new thing in Test cricket, especially since England redefined their approach after the heat of 2022. However, only a few have played it as frequently and effectively as Pope did, leaving even the home team supporters in awe. Pope’s record against India hasn’t been remarkable. Before this spectacular 148, he had only managed to score 50 or more once in 16 innings – with his previous highest being 34 – falling in the first slip to Ravindra Jadeja’s delivery. Ashwin has troubled him in the past, marking his uncertain footwork with several deliveries that highlighted his vulnerability.
But today, Pope showed no signs of the past uncertainties or nervousness. After an exquisite cover drive off Axar Patel’s delivery, he immediately followed it with a glance. Pope was progressing with confidence, displaying impeccable footwork and decision-making. It wasn’t until he reached the twenties that he attempted his first reverse sweep. It was a complete stunner, with Jadeja left in disbelief as the ball traveled towards the third-man boundary. After showcasing his prowess, Pope consistently used the reverse surface, bringing seven out of his 17 boundaries through it, each one unique.
The field placements ranged from the flat club at point to the delicate paddle to the fine third-man and the wicketkeeper K.S. Bharat faced an extraordinary no-look reverse ramp that even Ashwin would have admired.
England needed someone who could hold their ground against the wall with their back against it. Jack Crawley and Ben Duckett tried to do it for a while, but the chemistry wasn’t enough. Enter Pope, leaving the stage, his bat shining brightly, and his multifaceted strokeplay; for over four hours, he anchored the innings during the first century of the match, steering England to a position where they needed only 27 more runs to bat again. Drawing inspiration from his partner’s magic, Fox compiled 163 runs with five wickets down, yet England required 27 more runs to bat again. Keeping his cool for over 100 minutes, Fox played his part, eventually securing victory for England.
Pope made just one mistake when he mistimed a short third-man shot off Jadeja at 110. Ashwin couldn’t catch it to his right. A slight doubt, he won’t stop Pope from dictating a single stroke for the rest of the series. Again and again.”
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