England’s middle-order batter Ollie Pope reached a major Test milestone during the ongoing fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The 27-year-old completed 3,500 Test runs on Day 2. With several crucial innings under his belt across formats and continents, many fans are wondering, does Pope save his best for India?
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Or is there another team he enjoys batting against more? Let’s dive into his numbers across opponents to find out who brings out the best in him.
Ollie Pope overall numbers in Test cricket so far
Since making his Test debut against India in 2018 at Lord’s, Ollie Pope has quietly grown into one of England’s top Test batters. In his 60th Test match and 105th innings, he entered the 3,500-run club.
His overall batting average sits around 35, and he's registered 9 centuries and 15 half-centuries so far. Out of his 3,500+ runs, around 2,000 runs have come in England, where he has also scored six hundreds.
How does Pope's Test record compare across different opponents?
A look at Pope’s performance by opponent reveals interesting trends. Although India is the team he has played against the most in Test cricket, they are not necessarily the side he’s done best against statistically.
| Opponent | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 5 | 10 | 157 | 15.70 | 0 | 0 |
| India | 17 | 32 | 821 | 26.48 | 1 | 2 |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 205 | 205.00 | 0 | 1 |
| New Zealand | 12 | 22 | 770 | 36.66 | 4 | 1 |
| Pakistan | 9 | 14 | 374 | 26.71 | 3 | 1 |
| South Africa | 6 | 10 | 445 | 63.57 | 4 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 6 | 191 | 31.83 | 0 | 1 |
| West Indies | 6 | 9 | 373 | 46.62 | 3 | 1 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 1 | 171 | 171.00 | 0 | 1 |
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Clearly, South Africa and West Indies have brought out the best in Pope. He averages a remarkable 63.57 against the Proteas and 46.62 against the Windies. He averages just 26.48 against India despite playing them 17 times.
On the other hand, he’s scored 821 runs against India, including 2 centuries, which is his highest total against any single nation.
Is India really Pope's favourite Test opponent?
While Pope has scored more runs against India than any other team, it’s largely because he has played more Tests against them than anyone else.
His average of 26.48 is lower than what he manages against most other teams, and his conversion rate against India isn't exceptional either.
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If we consider consistency, South Africa, West Indies, and even New Zealand have seen much better versions of Pope.