Overview
- Pope struck 100 and 90 at Lilac Hill in the tour’s sole warm-up, performances widely reported to have cemented his place for the first Test in Perth on November 21.
- His position at No. 3 had been under threat from Jacob Bethell, who made 3 and 70 in the same fixture across the two sides.
- Pope said recent pressure has taught him to deliver under scrutiny and that he now has clarity on how he wants to play in Australian conditions.
- He acknowledged losing the Test vice-captaincy to Harry Brook and said he respects the decision while focusing on his batting.
- The Surrey batter is seeking to improve on his previous away Ashes, when he averaged 11.16 across six innings during England’s 2021/22 4-0 defeat.