England’s hopes of making a comeback in the Ashes series have been dealt a blow as their star No.3 batter and vice-captain, Ollie Pope, has been ruled out for the rest of the series due to a dislocated right shoulder.
The injury occurred during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, and after scans, it has been decided that Pope will require surgery and rehabilitation, with the support of both the England and Surrey medical teams.
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With the crucial third Ashes Test set to begin at Headingley on July 6 (Thursday), England will have to make a significant decision on who will fill the vacant No.3 spot. As of now, there will be no immediate replacement for Pope.
The likely candidate to take his place is Dan Lawrence, who is the only backup batter in the squad. However, it’s worth noting that Lawrence’s last Test appearance was in March 2022, and he holds an average of 29.0 with four fifties in his 11 Tests, making it a challenging task for him to face the formidable Australian bowling attack.
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Apart from Lawrence, other options to consider for the No.3 position include Moeen Ali, who has previously batted there six times, England captain Joe Root, and Harry Brook. The team management will assess each player’s form, skill set, and suitability for the role before making the final decision.
As the third Test approaches, the absence of Ollie Pope adds pressure on England to find a suitable replacement and stage a comeback against the strong Australian team.
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Squad for the third Test: Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
