England Test vice-captain Ollie Pope, predicts England can score 600 runs in a single day of Test cricket in the near future. The Ben Stokes-led side has adopted a slightly more measured approach to their ‘Bazball’ style of play during the ongoing home series against the West Indies, and this modified strategy has been serving them well.

With a dominant 241-run victory over West Indies at Trent Bridge, England have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in their three-match series. After their 1-4 series loss against India, the team tempered their attacking approach, but still demonstrated their ability to score quickly, amassing 50 runs in just 4.2 overs in the first innings of the second Test.

At Trent Bridge, the team surpassed 400 runs in less than 100 overs on both occasions, with Ollie Pope’s first-innings century proving pivotal. Pope scored his ton at an impressive strike rate of 72.46.

“The batting lineup is hungrier than ever, with an extra edge. As a unit, we aim to be as ruthless as possible, while still playing our natural game. In Tests, ruthlessness is crucial,” Pope said.

“When I arrived at Trent Bridge on the first day, someone asked, “Do you plan to play in that style?” The answer is no – it’s simply our natural style of play. We don’t try to force high scoring; we just read the situation and play our game. Some days we might score 280-300, which is fine, as it’s a natural result of our approach. And there may come a day where we score 500-600 – that would be a great achievement. Being able to adapt our game and score at such high levels is a valuable asset,” he added.

England’s Bazball approach, marked by an aggressive playing style, had fueled a hot streak at home, with victories over New Zealand and South Africa. However, doubts lingered over whether this tactic would translate to success on the subcontinent, making their tour of Pakistan in late 2022 a crucial test for the new strategy.

On the opening day of their tour, England capitalized on the flat pitch in Rawalpindi, amassing 506 runs to assert their dominance. Crawley, Duckett, Brook, and Pope all scored centuries, propelling the visitors to a mammoth total of 657. England went on to clinch the series 3-0.