England picks Pope at No 3 ahead of Bethell for first cricket test against India
LEEDS, England (AP) — England kept faith with Ollie Pope as the No. 3 batter for the first cricket test against India despite the return to the squad of Jacob Bethell.
England announced its team on Wednesday, two days out from the start of the five-match series, with most of the scrutiny on whether Bethell — a new star of English cricket and highly rated among England’s coaches — would displace Pope, the team’s vice captain.
Bethell opted to miss last month’s one-off test against Zimbabwe to play at the IPL and, with a rival for his place absent, Pope chose the perfect moment to score 171.
Selectors have stuck with Pope in what looks a strong batting lineup.
England’s bowling attack doesn’t have the same pedigree, with Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse forming the pace unit for the Headingley test starting Friday.
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England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Bryson Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
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