It would be remarkable to drop Ollie Pope after 171 – Ben Stokes

Pope will line up for England against India despite pressure on his number three place from Jacob Bethell.

Ollie Pope retained his England place to face India (John Walton/PA) (PA Archive)

Ben Stokes insists Ollie Pope was never in danger of being dropped for this week’s opening Test against India, claiming it would be “remarkable” to leave his vice-captain out.

Jacob Bethell is pushing hard for a place in the red-ball side as he continues his sharp ascent through the ranks but while he was at the Indian Premier League last month, Pope firmed up his spot at number three with a knock of 171 against Zimbabwe.

If there were ever any doubts over him holding on to his shirt, that innings at Trent Bridge extinguished them and he remains the man in possession heading into a huge five-match series that begins on Friday at Headingley.

Stokes, who has been steadfast in his support for Pope, said: “The ‘big selection’ (idea) did not come from us. It would be remarkable to choose someone else if their last knock was a 170, and that’s pretty much all I need to say on that.

“Scoring 170 definitely doesn’t do anyone any harm, but having him at number three since I’ve been captain over a three-year period, averaging over 40, it speaks for itself.”

The presence of Bethell, who deputised impressively in New Zealand before Christmas and turned in some highly accomplished performances in the recent white-ball games against the West Indies, means there is at least an element of added pressure on Pope to continue producing.

Stokes acknowledges the noise is growing but is relaxed about Pope’s ability to navigate it.

“In this day and age it’s very tough not to see all that speculation, just because of how easily accessible things are. You don’t even have to go and hunt for it,” he said.

“But I think scoring 170 in his last Test match has sort of shown how well he’s handled that extra scrutiny.

“When you’re a kid you dream about playing for England and obviously it’s an unbelievable thing, but then the other side of it is that you come under the pump a little bit and that’s part of the territory.”

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This week’s trip to Yorkshire marks the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, a matter of days after South Africa triumphed over Australia in the final at Lord’s.

Stokes has been a long-time sceptic of the tournament’s uneven design, branding it “utterly confusing”, and his side will once again play the most Tests over the next two years. Long-form series against both India and Australia over the next seven months mean it will once again be an uphill task but he is focusing on day-to-day business in the hope the wider goal falls into place.

“If we win enough games of cricket, then we’ll find ourselves there at the final at the World Test Championship,” he said.

“I think that’s probably a better way of saying that we don’t focus on it. We focus on every game that we have in front of us, on the series that we have in front of us, and if we win games of cricket, we will find ourselves at the World Test Championship final. If we do get there, then we’ll look to win that.”

Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed this summer’s victors would win the newly minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, named in honour of the nations’ record wicket-taker and record run-scorers respectively.

“It’s a proud moment for me and my family to have this iconic series named after Sachin and myself,” said James Anderson.

“The rivalry between our two nations has always been something special, full of history, intensity and unforgettable moments. To be recognised in this way is a real honour. I’m looking forward to seeing the next chapter unfold in England this summer.”