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'I Got A Bit Luckier' - Ollie Pope Reacts After Epic 196 Against India In First Test

image-lrxn3icgRohit Sharma & Ollie Pope (AP Photos)

Ollie Pope, the player of the match for the Hyderabad Test between India and England, admitted he got luckier in the second innings as Indian fielders dropped easy catches on Day 4. The dropped catches saw Pope stealing the game away for his side with a record 196 runs innings.

Ollie Pope went on to become a match-winner for his side, England, in the first Test match versus India of the five-game series, which concluded earlier today. After getting out cheaply in the first inning, Pope had a point to prove and thus came out all guns blazing with the bazball intent. He initially took time to settle in and then played his shots freely. 

Ollie Pope got to a hundred and guided England to a mammoth lead at the end of Day 3. On Day 4, Pope fed on the overnight momentum and added quick runs to set up a 230-run target for India before Jasprit Bumrah cleaned him up at the end of the first session.

Eventually, the target seemed too steep as India was bundled 28 runs short by the end of Day 4.

Meanwhile, Pope was awarded Man of the Match for his scintillating knock of 196 runs off 278 deliveries. He reacted to England's massive win and stated that he got luckier in the second innings as India dropped him on multiple occasions. 

"I think I got a bit luckier in the second innings. I played and missed a few. I was kind of focused on covering the inside edge of my pad. I knew that was a really dangerous ball and if you do edge, one still got to carry, they still got to catch it. So I think that I maintained that mindset and really wanted to be positive with my sweeping and reverse sweeping as well," Ollie Pope said via post game press conference.  

Pope added that playing spin wasn't easy, and he indeed missed a few shots. But he was lucky enough to survive. The batter also addressed his audacious scoop shot, saying since the team had enough runs on board, he decided to counterattack.

"I've sort of tinkered throughout my career. So far, some things have worked. I've changed my technique slightly for this series specifically. I had a shoulder surgery. So I've had a long time to prepare for this series and make some adjustments to what I produced the last time we were here, maybe three years ago now. So I've worked hard in my game and tried to sort of tailor my technique for these conditions. I think the family have had early starts throughout the week so they can finally get some sleep," he added.

Speaking on his preparations, Ollie Pope revealed how he was in rehab due to shoulder surgery just months ahead of this tour. However, the off-time proved to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed him enough time to prepare.  Pope also claimed that he changed his technique for this particular series to tackle spin.