England’s star batter, Ollie Pope, exudes confidence in the team’s aggressive run-scoring approach. He believes that England’s batting order is developing a “ruthlessness” that could propel them to score a staggering 600 runs in a single day during Test matches.
England’s recent performances against the West Indies have been dominant. They secured an innings victory at Lord’s and followed it up with a comprehensive 241-run win at Trent Bridge. These victories showcased their ability to score big in both innings of a Test match.
Ollie Pope on England’s BazBall approach
Pope emphasizes that England’s attacking style of play has become second nature. While they remain adaptable and read game situations, their aggressive approach is intrinsic to their play. The buccaneering ‘Bazball’ style, fostered by coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, has infused confidence in the team.
“There’s a real hunger – there always is a hunger – but now there’s an extra bit in that batting line-up. We want to be as ruthless as we can as a batting unit, but still play the way we do because that’s our natural game. Obviously being ruthless is being part of Test cricket as well,” Pope told ICC.
England came tantalizingly close to breaking the record for the highest runs scored in a day of Test cricket. In December 2022, they fell just three runs short of Sri Lanka’s total of 509-9 against Bangladesh in 2002. Pope believes that England could go even bigger, potentially reaching the historic milestone of 600 runs in a single day.
“I got asked on day one ‘Do you get told to play like that?’. No, we don’t. It’s just our natural games and the way we go about it. Sometimes we might score 280-300 in a day but that’s OK and probably because we’re reading situations. There might also be a day where we go and get 500 to 600 at some point in the future as well. And that’s a cool thing to have,” he added.
600 runs in a single day of a Test? 🤔
Ollie Pope is confident England can achieve that milestone in near future 👀 pic.twitter.com/6at6Z63y28
— Sport360° (@Sport360) July 24, 2024
As England gears up for the third and final Test against the West Indies, their hunger for ruthlessness remains undiminished. The prospect of rewriting cricket history with a monumental run tally adds excitement to the game.
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