IND vs ENG 2024: Ollie Pope knows what he needs to do: Brendon McCullum backs England’s vice-captain to deliver

England’s head coach Brendon McCullum has put his weight behind Ollie Pope to deliver the goods in the fifth Test match against India. Pope scored a magnum opus knock of 196 runs in the second innings of the opening Test at Hyderabad but since then he has veered off the track.

England’s vice-captain has scored 285 runs in four Test matches at an average of 35.62. Ergo, barring that knock of 196, the right-hander has scored 89 runs in seven innings of the series.

“Pope is aware of what he needs to do. He didn’t bag his chance in the last Test and he’s gutted about that but look at the way he was then helping the skipper on the last day and diving around in the field,” McCullum told the reporters ahead of the final Test match.

McCullum wants Pope to give his absolute best in the fifth Test. The former New Zealand skipper also lauded Pope’s leadership skills.

“That’s the stuff you’re desperate for as a coach, to see people giving it their best regardless of their own performance. He displayed great leadership qualities and that showed where he’s at as a player, member of this team and as a person,” McCullum said.

Meanwhile, Pope has looked at sea at the start of his innings and it has led to his downfall in the last three Test matches. However, McCullum backed the right-hander to bounce back stronger.

“Look at Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting when they first went out to bat. They were frenetic at the start and everyone’s susceptible when they first go out there. It’s just the way it is,” McCullum said.

“But Popey is trying to be as calm as he can be when he goes out there and there’s a period when he needs to grab information from the wicket and get the rhythm of how the game is going,” concluded the former New Zealand captain.

The fifth and final Test match will be played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala from March 7.