Ollie Pope reflects on altered batting style after Hyderabad masterclass. “I’ve worked hard on my game and tried to tailor my technique for these conditions,” Pope said.
England batter Ollie Pope was a standout star for his side against India in the first Test of the ongoing series. Scoring a sensational 196 runs in the second innings, Pope inspired England’s comeback in the game, overcoming a huge deficit to end up winning the game by 28 runs.
Speaking of his brilliant knock, Pope came forward to talk of the various changes that he has made in his technique over time and how he has made specific changes to take on India, especially in such conditions.
Pope’s performance helped England win the game in sensational fashion. After such a historic victory in Hyderabad, the Ben Stokes-led side will be eager to repeat the feat in the series. ‘ Remaining games as they attempt to dethrone the hosts.
“I’ve tinkered with my technique throughout my career, and I changed it slightly for this series in particular. I had shoulder surgery, so I had a lot of time to prepare for this series. Make some changes to what I did the last time we were here three years ago. “I’ve worked hard on my game and tried to tailor my technique to these conditions,” Pope told ESPNcricinfo.
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It was about covering my inside edge: Pope
Furthermore, the star batter also highlighted the importance of knowing his opponent and how he looked to cover his inside edge regularly, as playing defensive on a regular basis guaranteed the hosts a wicket in the conditions.
“It was about covering my inside edge and trying to put some pressure back on the bowlers as well with the sweeps and reverse sweeps… The guys we are facing are very skilled bowlers. You can pretty much know where each ball is going to land and if you try to defend each ball there’s probably more chance to get out than if you play a cross-batted shot,” Pope said.
“I don’t think I nailed my first 20-odd runs, I was thinking ‘why is it not hitting the middle of the bat’. But then out here it could be as safe as playing a defence, a sweep or reverse sweep,” he added.
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