Ollie Pope set to return to England Test squad

23-year-old English batsman Ollie Pope has been added to the Test squad just in time for the first Test of the 4-match series against India.

Pope suffered a dislocated shoulder while fielding during the last Test of the English summer in August. This was the second time Pope suffered a shoulder dislocation and the Englishman opted for surgery.

While Pope was a part of the group for the tour of Sri Lanka as well as for the upcoming series against India, he was not included as an official member of the squad on both occasions. The 23-year old continued his rehabilitation and used the opportunity to get used to the conditions in Asia.

JUST IN: Ollie Pope, who has recovered from a shoulder injury sustained in August 2020 against Pakistan, has been added to England’s Test squad for the India series.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/1Tcr7TQacy

— ICC (@ICC) February 3, 2021

Ollie Pope came into contention for a spot in the squad after getting through England's first full training session in Chennai unhurt. An ECB statement on Wednesday stated that Pope had recovered from his shoulder injury and had completed another training session with the rest of the squad.

"The England medical team are satisfied that he is available for selection," the statement read.

Ollie Pope will be available for selection for Friday's Test

Ollie Pope has been batting without any fitness concerns for quite some time now. The 23-year old made an unbeaten 50 in the warm-up game prior to the series against Sri Lanka. There were, however, uncertainties about whether his shoulder would hold up in test matches.

Now that Pope has been declared fit, he will be in contention to play the first Test against Team India, which will commence on Friday. Pope is likely to bat at No. 5 or No. 6 for England.

Ollie Pope fit to return for England in first Test against India. By @Cricket_Ali https://t.co/pCMJ5efa3c

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) February 2, 2021