England batsman Ollie Pope has been released from the squad for the second Test against India at Lord’s.
Pope did not feature in the rain-affected first Test at Trent Bridge, which ended in a draw.
His release means he will now play for Surrey against Derbyshire on Thursday in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
A thigh injury in a Vitality Blast match against Kent Spitfires had kept Pope out since 2 July and he had worked to get fit for England’s series opener.
Opening batsmen Rory Burns and Dom Sibley stuttered against India’s pace bowling in the first Test, particularly Jasprit Bumrah, and number three Zak Crawley fared little better.
Burns was out for a duck after five balls on day one last week in Nottingham. The highest score from the top three in the order was Sibley’s grinding 28 off 133 balls in the second innings, before being caught behind.
Pope, 23, had played in England’s losing series against New Zealand in June, but failed to build any significant innings in his four appearances at the crease, scoring 22, 20 not out, 19 and 23.
Since making his Test debut against India in 2018, the right-hander has made one century, against South Africa in 2020, and five half centuries.
Pope toured India with England earlier this year, having recovered from a shoulder injury, averaging 19 in the four-match series, which ended in a 3-1 victory for India.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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