NEW DELHI: After England’s five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, captain Ollie Pope praised batters Joe Root and Jamie Smith for their match-winning performances, calling Root a “greedy Yorkshire man” for his insatiable hunger for runs.
Root played a crucial role with a composed half-century during a tense run-chase, while Smith’s maiden Test century in the first innings gave England a significant lead of 122 runs, which was instrumental in their win.
During the post-match presentation, Pope acknowledged that the pitch favored new-ball bowlers and commended pacers Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson for their early breakthroughs.
“I think it was the kind of pitch that suited the new ball, and we knew once we got past the 15-20 overs, we could really cash in. Credit to the bowlers for the way they led from the front, Woakes and Gus (Atkinson) managed to get them three down early on. I think that was very crucial,” said Pope.
On Root and Smith, Pope remarked that the veteran batter brought a sense of calm to the dressing room, while the young wicketkeeper-batter displayed remarkable composure so early in his Test career.
“Everyone likes him (Root) when he is walking on the field, he is a greedy Yorkshire man, there was a sense of calmness when he was out there, everyone had full confidence in him. There are always a few nerves early on in your Test career, but I knew he (Smith) had the calmness to deal with it. He has transformed his form in the Test arena, could not be any more happier for him,” said the skipper.
Reflecting on his captaincy in Ben Stokes’ absence, Pope said he enjoyed the experience and felt confident in reading the game to help his team secure all 20 wickets.
“It was tough to bowl on that pitch after 15-20 overs, it was taxing, but that is always going to be the case,” he concluded.
Root played a crucial role with a composed half-century during a tense run-chase, while Smith’s maiden Test century in the first innings gave England a significant lead of 122 runs, which was instrumental in their win.
During the post-match presentation, Pope acknowledged that the pitch favored new-ball bowlers and commended pacers Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson for their early breakthroughs.
“I think it was the kind of pitch that suited the new ball, and we knew once we got past the 15-20 overs, we could really cash in. Credit to the bowlers for the way they led from the front, Woakes and Gus (Atkinson) managed to get them three down early on. I think that was very crucial,” said Pope.
On Root and Smith, Pope remarked that the veteran batter brought a sense of calm to the dressing room, while the young wicketkeeper-batter displayed remarkable composure so early in his Test career.
“Everyone likes him (Root) when he is walking on the field, he is a greedy Yorkshire man, there was a sense of calmness when he was out there, everyone had full confidence in him. There are always a few nerves early on in your Test career, but I knew he (Smith) had the calmness to deal with it. He has transformed his form in the Test arena, could not be any more happier for him,” said the skipper.
Reflecting on his captaincy in Ben Stokes’ absence, Pope said he enjoyed the experience and felt confident in reading the game to help his team secure all 20 wickets.
“It was tough to bowl on that pitch after 15-20 overs, it was taxing, but that is always going to be the case,” he concluded.
