Pressure affects people in different ways. Some people choke, some panic. The very best in sport do neither, instead thriving when put under the microscope to produce moments of great skill and character under fire.
For Ollie Pope, much of his career has been defined by folding under pressure. When he was surprisingly handed his Test debut at the age of 20 against India at Lord’s, it was way soon, especially as he was asked to bat at No 4 in the order. He lasted just two Tests before being dropped.
He had to wait 15 months before he was recalled for a tour of New Zealand in late 2019. Despite a spell where he scored his first Test hundred against South Africa in Port Elizabeth later that same winter, Pope’s second stint in the team ended in the ruins of the ill-fated Covid-era Ashes tour of Australia in 2021-22.
This is the series Stuart Broad famously said should be counted as “void” because of the onerous pandemic restrictions the tourists were under, including twice-daily Covid tests at one point.
Pope would surely wish for that series to have not happened given his return of 67 runs across three Tests is the spectre that still hangs over him as we approach another Ashes winter at the end of the year.
Pope still has questions to answer however he performs against India (Photo: Reuters)Even if he has a stellar summer against India, will he really be able to have success against the same Australian attack that stalked him so ruthlessly four years ago?
And what about Jacob Bethell? The 21-year-old looked to the manor born when he played his debut series at No 3 in New Zealand last winter.
He somehow has to be in the team by the time the Ashes start at Perth on 21 November. But at the moment, he will have to bide his time. Bethell will be playing for Warwickshire in the County Championship at Edgbaston from Sunday after being overlooked for Pope for this series opener against India in Leeds.
The chances of Bethell playing in the second Test at Edgbaston the week after next are now almost non-existent after Pope brushed off the speculation around his position to ensure his first contribution with the bat in this series was to reach a stylish half-century in 64 balls in the first over after tea on day two here at Headingley.
The 27-year-old had earlier taken a brilliant catch at cover to dismiss Karun Nair during a startling collapse from India that saw the tourists lose their final seven wickets for 41 runs to post a first-innings total of 471 that looked par at best.
But Pope’s main work was to still to come with the bat. His introduction in the second over, in dark, humid conditions with the world’s best bowler in Jasprit Bumrah swinging the ball around corners was about as tough as it could get.
Yet the temperament Pope showed to score 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last month while all the speculation over his place was whirling around came to the fore again here.
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He negotiated an early probing from Bumrah during the Indian’s first six-over spell, although he was lucky to edge one delivery through a vacant fourth slip. There was a near run-out following a mix-up with Ben Duckett at the other end.
But largely, though, he exuded calm, which is a promising sign for a player who has become known for being as a twitchy starter as you will see at this level.
England obviously rate him. It’s why coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes brought him back into the team to bat at No 3 at the start of their tenure despite his patchy record up to that point.
Since then he is averaging above 40, making a nonsense of the chat that he should be dropped. It is understood that although he is currently being backed, support is far from unanimous.
Bethell will get into this England team at some point. But for now, Pope has dealt with the pressure on his place with a panache that hints he has every chance of exorcising his Ashes nightmare of four years ago Down Under this winter.
People change, people grow, people get better. Pope, showing a steeliness not previously seen, has certainly done that over the past few months. His work on this second day of the series in Leeds proved that.
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