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A new look Indian Test squad led by Shubman Gill has a point to prove in England. India missed out on a series win last time after losing the rescheduled Test. Now, in the absence of recently retired senios Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, it is uncharted territory for Gill. While the young Indian sides have scripted history before, England batter Ollie Pope feels that there is talent in the current side but they will miss Kohli's aura in the slip cordon, getting under the skin of the opposition.
"It's a young team, but these Indian players… they have got so much depth and talent. So they've got a lot of young guys coming through; a lot of good players. Shubman Gill, their new captain, is a fantastic player. They will miss the aura of Virat Kohli standing at slips and chirping away. But they have got some good talent, so they will feel confident. But our players are ready for it," Pope told talkSPORT cricket.
The Ben Stokes-led England warmed up with a comprehensive win over Zimbabwe in one-off Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. With Ashes in Australia later this year, Pope feels it is the perfect time to play for India as they have a quality side.
"It's a great time for us to play India. Last summer, we had the West Indies and Sri Lanka, but with India coming over, the level of quality that they will bring is a great way for us to focus on that and not look ahead. So yeah, for us, it's the perfect time to play India, and then once the Ashes come around, it will be exciting," Pope said.
Pope's recent form
In the Zimbabwe clash, Pope scored 171. Since then, he has been playing in T20 Blast 2025 for Surrey where he has registered scores of 5, 9, 11 and 53. With Jacob Bethell returning to the Test squad, it will be interesting to see whether Pope retains his place in the playing XI in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds starting on June 20.
Pope's underwhelming Test record against India
Pope has a poor record against India, barring the 196-run knock in Hyderabad, the only Test England won on their India tour last year. The 27-year-old averages 24.60 against India from 13 Tests. He has scored 615 runs from 25 innings. He has only one half-century against the Indian side.
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