Ben Duckett revealed he felt “goosebumps” after watching Ollie Pope take on the best bowler in the world and emerge with an undefeated century at Headingley.
Pope was at the centre of an outstanding day of ultra-competitive Test cricket against India, finishing with exactly 100 not out as England fought their corner under pressure in this Rothesay Series opener.
He walked out to bat on the second afternoon with everything stacked against him – India boasting 471 first-innings runs and the peerless Jasprit Bumrah having just made short work of Zak Crawley with the new ball.
With grey clouds overhead and floodlights needed to improve visibility in the middle, it was a deeply unappetising situation for a player who came into the game with his place under scrutiny.
A few hours later, having guided his side to 209 for three, the mere suggestion that he might be replaced any time soon felt fanciful in the extreme.
“It was goosebumps when he got his hundred, you could see what it meant to him,” said Duckett, who shared a stand of 122 with the vice-captain.
“He probably couldn’t walk out in tougher conditions, Jasprit running down the hill with the lights on.
“There’s no better feeling than that, scoring 100 against that attack after coming out at four for one. You can see that in the way he celebrated but it didn’t just mean a lot to him, it meant a huge amount in the dressing room as well.”
Much had been made of a theoretical head-to-head between Pope and rising star Jacob Bethell, a notion captain Ben Stokes swatted away on the eve of the match as he threw his full support behind the incumbent.
Get 4 months free with ExpressVPN
Servers in 105 Countries
Superior Speeds
Works on all your devices
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Get 4 months free with ExpressVPN
Servers in 105 Countries
Superior Speeds
Works on all your devices
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
The selection debate has been too loud to avoid but the Surrey man may well have settled it in the most public way possible, bat in hand in front of a sellout Saturday crowd in Yorkshire.
“We’re very good at keeping things in the dressing room but obviously you can hear the noise from outside,” admitted Duckett.
“We’re not having discussions in the dressing room about who’s going to play. But the way Popey has dealt with that has been superb. It sums up and proves why he’s England’s number three and is doing what he’s doing.”
Duckett had a front row seat as Bumrah threw everything he had at England. The unpredictable paceman finished with three for 48 from 13 electric overs but could easily have doubled his haul given the number of edges, chances and near misses he generated.
The last of those saw him have Harry Brook caught for a duck only to be called for a no-ball, a late gut punch, but he will surely be back for more.
“He’s the best bowler in the world,” said Duckett, who was eventually bowled for 62.
“He’s good in India on the flattest pitches ever and, when he’s coming down the hill with the lights on, swinging both ways, it’s tough.
“I feel we minimised the damage early on, it could have been a lot worse today so we’re pretty happy with the position we’re in.”
