Ollie Pope believes the pressure of defending his spot in the England team amid constant speculation about his future and the rising challenge presented by Jacob Bethell has given him greater clarity and quality, leaving him well-placed to improve a poor record against Australia when the Ashes start on Friday.
In 10 Test innings against Australia, Pope has never scored more than 42, averaging 11.17 in the three games he played last time England toured here in 2021-22, and 22.50 in two matches when the Ashes were last contested in 2023. The 27-year-old looked in fine form when scoring 100 and 90 in the warm-up fixture against the Lions at Lilac Hill and will head to the Optus Stadium with confidence high.
