Ollie Pope may miss England’s first Test match against India next month following thigh injury suffered on Surrey duty… and medical staff could advise him to aim for second Test at Lord’s eight days later
- Ollie Pope sustained a thigh injury playing for his county Surrey in the T20 Blast
- The England batsman had hoped to be fit for the Test series opener on August 4
- Medics may advise him not to rush his return and aim for the second India Test
- He is sitting out The Hundred, but wants to establish himself in Test middle order
England batsman Ollie Pope could miss the first Test against India at Trent Bridge next month as he continues to recover from a thigh injury sustained playing for Surrey in the T20 Blast.
Pope had hoped to be fit in time for the series opener on August 4, but may be advised by medics not to rush his return, and aim instead for the second Test, starting eight days later at Lord’s.
‘I’m not sure at the minute if I’ll be fit,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘From what I hear, there’s a slight risk involved. The thigh feels good, but there are a few more boxes to tick, and they may not make a decision on whether I play in that first Test until a couple of days before.’
England batsman Ollie Pope could miss the first Test against India at Trent Bridge next month
The England batsman sustained a thigh injury playing for Surrey in the T20 Blast
After signing with Welsh Fire, Pope is now sitting out The Hundred, but wants to establish his place in the Test middle order after a tough few months in which he has failed to pass 34 in his last 16 innings for England.
‘India was a tough tour for a lot of the players, then the two-match series against New Zealand went by very quickly,’ he said. ‘I had three innings and a not out, so it was a small sample size, but I felt I was playing well.’
Meanwhile, fans at The Hundred will get the chance to choose the walkout music for one batter per team. The vote will take place in advance, so as not to slow down the innings.
To celebrate their partnership with The Hundred, Lifebuoy is providing free hand sanitiser to every registered Dynamos Cricket participant #BishBashBosh.
Pope could be advised by medics not to rush his return, and aim instead for the second India Test