India vs England: Ollie Pope supported by Marcus Trescothick

England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick has backed Ollie Pope after the vice-captain's string of low scores on the tour of India.

Pope, 26, made a match-winning 196 in the first Test, but has not gone beyond 39 in seven innings since.

He was bowled out twice in their defeat in the fourth Test and stumped for 11 on the first day of the fifth Test.

“He has adapted well to certain conditions and certain parts of his game,” Trescothick told BBC Sport.

“The more he's tested and plays in these tougher environments and conditions, he's going to get better. After that 196 in the first game, we've seen a huge improvement. It's just continuing to develop that and encourage that, and he's going to be a better player for us.” He. She.”

England lost eight wickets for 81 runs and were 5-8 bowled for 218 on the first day in Dharamsala. India moved to 135-1 at the close, in a strong position to win the series 4-1.

The hosts have turned things around since losing the first Test in Hyderabad, when Sari Pope played one of the all-time great innings by an England overseas player.

But he has struggled since then, and when recording two ducks in the fourth Test in Ranchi, he faced just three deliveries.

Afterward, coach Brendon McCollum said Pope was trying to be “calm.”

“For him, the key is not to play his roles before he goes out there, just to be nice and relaxed and get himself back into that situation,” the New Zealander said.

On Thursday in Dharamsala, Pope was once again nervous at the start of his innings, before running past Kuldeep Yadav Gogley only to stumble from long off.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep, who bowled beautifully for 5-72, said Pope could not “stay fixed at the crease for long”.

Kuldeep added: “His style is that he comes out a lot and tries to control the spinners by hitting them with the ground.

“So when you bowl three dot balls, you think about what he's going to try on the next ball. He got out early, so it was easy for me to change my plan.”

Pope is playing his 43rd Test after making his debut as a 20-year-old in 2018. He averages 34.25, but his recent performances have been two massive scores, surrounded by low scores.

England's number three has passed 50 just twice in Test cricket since December 2022, and on those occasions he made 205 against Ireland at Lord's and 196 in Hyderabad. He has also missed the last three Ashes Tests with a shoulder injury.

“Ole has his little things going and he tries to improve them,” said Trescothick, a former England international. “Getting into the innings is always a challenge here, as is facing a quality spin.

“This is a part of his game that he is looking to improve. I think we can all agree that after 196 years in Hyderabad we have seen improvement and we have seen parts of his game improve for sure.

“Let's keep letting that happen. The more pressure people put on, the more challenges will arise. He's definitely improving, as are many other players on our team.”

England had just 13 fit players on the field on Thursday after Ollie Robinson fell ill and players Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed left the tour earlier.

It means that 48-year-old Trescothick and fellow assistant Paul Collingwood, 47, have been listed as substitutes.

Trescothick last played for England in 2006 and retired from first-class cricket in 2019. The former Collingwood all-rounder played his last Test in 2011, and retired from first-class cricket in 2018.

“It's stupid isn't it?” Trescothick said. “You think at 48 years old you're still running and doing that. Cole and I really enjoy the opportunity to get out and have a few drinks and be in the middle and get a taste of the atmosphere.

“I certainly hope I'm not on the field, but Kohli is a little more optimistic than me. I'll be on the field for a long time, or under the helmet. It'll never happen, so we don't have to.” Worry about it.”