India tour of England 2025 | England reach mammoth total at end of day three in Manchester
England were placed at 544/7 at the end of the third day’s play in Manchester, leading India by 186 runs. Joe Root headlined England’s batting display with a majestic 150 that took him to second in the list of top run-getters in Tests, while Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope scored half-centuries.
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International career
Oliver John Douglas Pope was born on January 2, 1998. He plays for the England cricket team in Test matches and serves as the current vice-captain. Pope is a right-handed batsman and sometimes acts as a wicket-keeper. He made his Test debut against India in 2018.
Veteran players like Sachin Tendulkar, Brett Lee, and Kevin Pietersen have compared Pope’s batting style to Ian Bell. They note his elegant cover drive, skill in rotating the strike, and his compact technique.
- 2018
- Made Test debut for England vs India at Lord’s, August 9-12.
- Played two Tests in debut season.
- Scored 986 runs at an average of 70.43 in county cricket, helping Surrey win the Championship.
- Recorded a career-best unbeaten 158 against Yorkshire.
- 2019
- Called up as cover for Jason Roy before the 3rd Ashes Test.
- Joined England Test squad for New Zealand tour.
- Scored 75 in the second Test at Hamilton.
- Missed first Test in South Africa due to illness.
- Top-scored with 61 in the second Test.
- Scored maiden Test century, 135, in the third Test against South Africa.
- 2020
- Named in a 55-man training group post-COVID lockdown.
- Included in England’s 30-man and then 13-man squad for West Indies Test series.
- Played all six Tests in England’s summer series against Pakistan and West Indies.
- Scored 215 runs at an average of 26.9, including scores of 91 and 62.
- 2021
- Missed Sri Lanka tour squad due to shoulder injury but traveled for fitness work.
- Not initially selected for India tour but later added after recovery.
- Played all four Tests in India, scoring 153 runs at 19.1 average.
- Scored 84 runs in 4 innings against New Zealand.
- Played only one Test against India due to quad injury, scoring 81 and 2.
- Included in England’s squad for the 2021-22 Ashes series.
- 2022
- Played in Test series against New Zealand.
- Scored 145 runs in the second Test, hitting 13 fours and 3 sixes.
- 2023
- Named England’s vice-captain on May 16.
- Set record for quickest Test double century in England: 200 runs off 207 balls vs Ireland at Lord’s.
- Suffered dislocated shoulder in June, sidelined for several months.
- 2024
- Part of England’s 5-match Test tour of India.
- Scored 196 in the second innings of the first Test, the fourth highest English score in India.
- Played in three-match Test series against West Indies.
- Took over as England captain for series against Sri Lanka after Ben Stokes’ injury.
- 2025
- Played a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
- Scored 171 runs off 166 balls.
- Became first Test cricketer to score centuries against eight different teams.
Leagues Participation
Ollie Pope mainly plays domestic cricket in England and focuses on international matches for England. He has not joined overseas leagues like the Big Bash League but has participated in England’s The Hundred tournament with Surrey. His league appearances are mostly within England’s domestic competitions.
Big Bash League
Ollie Pope signed with the Adelaide Strikers for the 2024/25 Big Bash League season. In June 2025, he applied for the Big Bash draft along with Jacob Bethell after the 2025-26 Ashes series. Both players could be retained by their teams or signed by other clubs for the final matches of the league.
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Year
|
Team
|
Notes
|
|
2023/24
|
Adelaide Strikers
|
Played his first Big Bash League season, scored 191 runs at an average of 21.22
|
|
2024/25
|
Adelaide Strikers
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Signed for the season, expected to play in the league phase and finals
|
|
2025/26
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Draft Eligible
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Entered draft after Ashes, may be retained by Adelaide or signed by other teams
|
The Hundred
Ollie Pope played for Welsh Fire in the 2022 edition of The Hundred tournament. In 2024, he joined the London Spirit team and contributed with important runs during the competition. On August 1, 2024, he scored 12 runs off 9 balls, including a four and a six, in a match against Welsh Fire at Lord’s Stadium.
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Year
|
Team
|
Notes
|
|
2022
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Welsh Fire
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Participated in The Hundred tournament
|
|
2024
|
London Spirit
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Scored 12 runs off 9 balls against Welsh Fire at Lord’s Stadium on August 1, 2024
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Domestic career
Ollie Pope’s domestic career began early, with strong ties to Surrey County Cricket Club. He signed a professional contract with Surrey in August 2016 and made his List A debut shortly after, playing against Yorkshire in a Royal London One-Day Cup semi-final. His first-class debut came in March 2017 against Oxford MCCU, followed by his T20 debut for Surrey in July 2017. Pope quickly showed his potential, scoring his first first-class century against Hampshire at 19 years old.
Pope attended Cranleigh School and played club cricket for Guildford and Cranleigh Cricket Clubs. He also rose through Surrey’s age-group teams before becoming a key player for the senior squad.
During the 2017/18 winter, Pope played in Australia for Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club under the ECB’s overseas placement program. He scored 994 runs including three centuries and earned praise from local officials for his on- and off-field contributions.
In 2018, Pope had a breakout year with Surrey, scoring four centuries and averaging over 70 during the County Championship-winning season. He received the PCA Young Player of the Year award. The next year, he continued strong form, leading Surrey’s first-class run-scoring with 812 runs at an average of 101 in just nine innings. However, a shoulder injury in 2019 required surgery. Pope used the recovery time to adjust his batting stance, and he returned to score an unbeaten 221 in his first game back.
After the disrupted 2020 season, Pope came back in 2021 with strong performances, scoring 861 runs at an average over 78 in nine County Championship matches. Highlights included a 245 against Leicestershire and a career-best 274 against Glamorgan.
In 2022, Pope played for Welsh Fire in The Hundred tournament. He continued playing for Surrey through 2023 and 2024, scoring key innings such as 122 runs to help Surrey defeat Hampshire and 99 runs in a Vitality Blast match, though the team lost that game.
By June 2025, Pope was playing for London Spirit in The Hundred and was assigned to the Adelaide Strikers for the 2024/25 Big Bash League season, continuing his role as an important domestic player across formats.
Records and achievements
Ollie Pope’s career is marked by several impressive records and achievements that highlight his skill and impact on the game. From high individual scores to unique milestones in Test cricket, his contributions have been significant both domestically and internationally.
- 2018: Awarded PCA Young Player of the Year.
- 2019: Highest run-scorer for Surrey in first-class cricket with 812 runs in 9 matches.
- 2021: Scored a career-best 274 runs against Glamorgan, his highest first-class score.
- By 2024: Became the third highest run-scorer for England in Test cricket with 3,301 runs in 56 matches at an average of 35.49.
- Early 2024: Scored 196 runs against India in Hyderabad, a key performance leading to a rare England win in the subcontinent.
- 2024: Captained England in the series against Sri Lanka, guiding the team to a 2-1 victory.
- Test cricket milestone: First player to score centuries against seven different Test opponents, later extending this record by scoring an eighth century against Zimbabwe.
Personal life
Ollie Pope keeps his personal life mostly private, focusing on his cricket career. Born into a family with a strong educational background, he has close support from his parents and maintains a steady relationship while balancing his professional commitments.
Family
Ollie Pope was born on January 2, 1998, in Chelsea, London. He is the great-great-great-grandson of Joseph Merriman, the first headmaster of Cranleigh School, which Ollie later attended. His parents, Richard and Sue Pope, have been supportive throughout his career. As of May 2025, Pope is not married but is in a relationship with Ella Gurdon, a London-based interior designer. They publicly revealed their relationship in early 2024, though no engagement or marriage plans have been shared.
Finance
Ollie Pope’s estimated net worth is between 1 and 3 million dollars, reflecting his earnings from cricket and related activities.
Scandals
In 2020, during a Sky Sports Cricket interview, teammates played pranks on Pope despite him locking himself in his room. In 2022, social media buzzed over an incident where Pope claimed a catch off Abdullah Shafique, but the umpire ruled it invalid because the ball bounced before the catch.
Fans
Ollie Pope has a strong fan base, with around 145,000 followers on Instagram, where he occasionally shares glimpses of his life and career.
