IND vs ENG 2021: England's Ollie Pope doubtful for series opener due to thigh injury

Ollie Pope has been ruled out of action until the start of England's Test series against India because of a thigh injury. The English batsman sustained the injury while playing for Surrey in a T20 Blast match against Kent last week.

Pope was in good touch in the T20 Blast tournament as he recorded two half-centuries in his last five knocks. The 23-year-old scored an unbeaten 52 against Middlesex and followed it up with a 60-run knock against Glamorgan.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed Ollie Pope's injury with the following statement:

"Pope has been ruled out until England's LV= Insurance Test Series against India after suffering a left thigh muscle injury. The ECB and Surrey fitness teams will work together to deliver Pope's rehabilitation with a focus for him to be available to return for the first Test against India."

🙏 Be back soon, @OPope32!

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 10, 2021

Pope was scheduled to play three matches for the Welsh Fire in The Hundred 2021. However, it seems he will be unavailable for the games because of his thigh injury.

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Will Ollie Pope's injury open the doors for Dawid Malan's return to the England Test team?

Dawid Malan has more than 11,000 first-class runs to his name

While Ollie Pope is expected to recover ahead of the Test series against India, the home side would prefer to have a backup option available in the squad. Pope has predominantly played at the number five and number six positions in Tests.

If Pope misses out, Dawid Malan could return to the Test team. The left-handed batsman recently scored a match-winning fifty against Pakistan on his return to the ODI side. Malan has played 15 Tests for England, but his last appearance in the Test format came back in 2018.

Last month, Malan played a superb knock of 199 runs for Yorkshire in a county game against Sussex. Since he has enormous first-class experience under his belt, the selectors could consider him for the series against India.