England's Ollie Pope walks from the field after he was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
With his knock of 17 runs during England’s second innings’ on the fourth day of the Adelaide Test, England number three Ollie Pope failed to get past the 50-run mark in this year’s Ashes so far. The 27-year-old has an average of 20.83 in the series so far and it has led to questions about his place in the England team for the remainder of the series. Former England captain Nasser Hussain believed England should bring Jacob Bethell at number three for the remainder of the series with Pope looking vulnerable up in the batting order.
“I can’t see him batting at number three in Melbourne (for the fourth Test). To be honest, his career and his series follow a very similar pattern. It starts well – he started the tour game well, he got runs (46)in the first innings of the first Test, and then slowly he just gets out the same way outside off stump. You want your number three to settle your dressing room, that’s what greats do, they calm the situation down. On this tour, when he’s been batting, Pope has looked vulnerable up front. I personally would now make the change away from Pope. Jacob Bethell, who’s here and been in and around the England side for quite some time, I think he should probably come in at Melbourne,” Hussain told Sky Sports.
The 27-year-old England number three has not scored a century in his last 14 Test innings with only one half-century during that time. His last Test century came against India during the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy early this year. Prior to the Adelaide Test, Pope had scored 3712 runs in 63 Tests at an average of 35.01. Prior to the Adelaide Test, Pope had played as a wicket-keeper in six Test matches and has an average of 45.60 in those six Test matches. Prior to the Adelaide Test, former England captain Michael Vaughan had shared how he believes moving Pope down the order and playing as a wicket-keeper. “I’m not saying I would go that way, but that’s one option – move Ollie down and keep. At number three he’s done. Ollie has had a lot of chances, but at number three I don’t think it’s working.” Vaughan had told the BBC earlier.
Like Pope, opener Ben Duckett too has struggled with form in the Ashes this year. The 31-year-old has so far scored 97 runs at an average of 16.16 in the six innings so far. The opener has failed to cross the 30-run mark so far in the series and could only manage a score of four runs during England’s second innings at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Former England captain Michael Atherton has called Duckett’s failure as ‘encapsulating the failure of Bazball’.
“(Ben)Duckett’s failure here encapsulates the failure of Bazball. He has played some of the best innings of this regime, scored some fantastic hundreds, and in a very unorthodox manner by leaving so few balls. But that was the thing: can the way England bat succeed in Australia? Can the way Duckett bats at the top of the order succeed in Australia with the bouncing ball? Well, so far, you’ve got to say no. He’s not succeeded, he’s averaging 16 and hasn’t passed 30 yet, nicking off three times. He’s got a few good balls in there, but you will as an opener. Today, it was a half shot. It wasn’t a shot of conviction, nor was it a leave, because he obviously doesn’t like to leave the ball. I just thought that it’s such a dangerous place to be as an opener, where you’re uncertain whether to play or leave, particularly for a batter whose whole identity has been based around not leaving the ball and putting bat to ball,” Atherton said on Sky Sports.