Ollie Pope scripts history with Test ton against SL: Details
Ollie Pope, England's stand-in captain, has made a historic mark in the history of Test cricket. During the third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval, Pope scored his first century while leading the Brits and his seventh overall in Test cricket. Remarkably, each of these centuries was scored against a different opponent - a feat that has never been achieved before in the 147-year history of Test cricket.
Pope's record-breaking century against Sri Lanka
Pope's record-breaking century was scored on his home ground at The Oval, during the opening day of the third Test against Sri Lanka. He ended the day with an unbeaten 103 off just as many balls, leading England to a strong position of 221-3. This impressive performance marked Pope's return to form after managing only 30 runs in four previous innings since taking over from the injured Ben Stokes as England skipper.
Pope's unique achievement in Test cricket history
Pope's centuries have been scored against South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, India, West Indies and now Sri Lanka. This makes him the first player in Test cricket history to score his initial seven centuries against different teams. His century against Sri Lanka was also the second-fastest by an England Test captain, achieved in just 102 balls - only seven deliveries slower than Graham Gooch's record against India in 1990.
Duckett praises Pope's resilience
Ben Duckett, who narrowly missed out on a century himself after being dismissed for 86, praised Pope for his resilience. He commended the skipper for ignoring criticism from figures like former England captain Michael Vaughan, who had questioned whether Pope could handle the dual responsibilities of leadership and batting at No 3. "To block that out and score an incredible hundred was so good," Duckett said following Pope's historic performance.
Here are Pope's stats
Pope's 103* has been laced with 13 fours and two sixes. His strike rate is 100. He has raced to 2,823 runs at 35.28 (50s: 13). As per ESPNcricinfo, Pope has surpassed 1,500 runs at home. He owns 1,559 runs at 38.02 (100s: 4, 50s: 8). Versus Sri Lanka, Pope now has 133 runs from five innings at 33.25.
England's strong performance in the Test series
Despite overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch, Sri Lanka failed to capitalize after winning the toss. They are already trailing 0-2 in this three-match series against England. Meanwhile, England are aiming for their first home Test season clean sweep since 2004 when Vaughan led them to seven consecutive victories. The Brits are currently on a five-match winning streak.
