"We won’t be complaining" - Ollie Pope on prospect of pitch turning from ball one during IND vs ENG Test series

West Indies v England - 3rd ODI — Ollie Pope (Image Credits: Getty)

England vice-captain Ollie Pope has said that the visitors won't complain if they find spinning tracks from ball one in the upcoming Test series against India, beginning on January 25.

Pope acknowledged that both teams will play on the same wicket and that England must find a way to compete better than the hosts, regardless of the conditions.

The Englishmen's struggle against Indian spinners is firmly under the spotlight as they head for a five-Test series in the sub-continent. The hosts have also named a spin-heavy squad for the first two games, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja almost certain to play. Axar Patel was England's chief tormentor in the 2021 leg and should play as the third spinner.

Speaking to The Guardian, Pope said it won't be a surprise if India prepare wickets to suit their spinners and admitted to being a fan of low-scoring games.

"There will be a lot of outside noise. And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well equipped as we can.

"In England, we might leave more grass on the pitch to suit our amazing seamers, so it’s no surprise if India do the same to suit their spinners. And I actually think low-scoring Test matches are pretty amazing to watch."

The Surrey batter recalled how quickly games finished in South Africa due to conditions excessively favouring the bowlers.

"I saw a fair bit of South Africa versus India, and it was great: guys scoring seriously tough runs, and the ball flying through. The scores could be similar in India, but if the pitches spin from ball one, we won’t be complaining. It’s about finding a method to combat it."

The second Test between India and South Africa in Cape Town came firmly under the spotlight as 23 wickets tumbled on Day 1. The game finished within two days, with India winning by seven wickets.

"They didn’t rotate strike a huge amount" - Ollie Pope on Indian batters during 2021 series

The 26-year-old observed that the likes of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant didn't let the spinners settle during the last series three years ago, elaborating:

"I look at the guys who were most successful, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, they didn’t rotate strike a huge amount.

"That’s tough to do on those pitches. You can’t just work spin around like in England. You need a really solid defence but also four and six options, to hit the spinners off their length."

Pope, who averaged 19.13 over four Tests in 2021, also underlined the need to unsettle the new batters at the crease by creating a strong presence around them.

"I’m not much of a chirper there. It’s more about presence. India are really good at it. When you start an innings, they have men around the bat and really create an atmosphere.