Duckett had 'goosebumps' watching Pope celebrate crucial ton

England's players were "pretty clear" well before the Headingley Test that Ollie Pope would bat at No. 3 against India despite Jacob Bethell's emergence. That is according to Ben Duckett, who said he had "goosebumps" watching Pope celebrate his ninth Test century after putting on 122 with him for the second wicket.

Bethell's success at No. 3 in his maiden series in New Zealand heaped pressure on Pope, who batted at No. 6 and kept wicket on that tour, and fuelled speculation ahead of this summer. That only intensified when Ben Stokes inadvertently suggested that Bethell would come back into his side to face India, having missed England's win over Zimbabwe while at the IPL.

Stokes sought to assure Pope, his vice-captain, that his comments had been misinterpreted, but even after he had piled on 171 at Trent Bridge, Rob Key declined the opportunity to confirm he would bat at No. 3 earlier this week. He was eventually locked in when England named their team on Wednesday, and was 100 not out at the close of the second day's play.

"There's noise outside of a dressing room, but there's no noise in it," Duckett said. "We're not having discussions in the dressing room about who's going to play. It seemed pretty clear coming into this Test match [that] if a bloke scores 170 a few weeks ago, he is going to play this game."

Stokes said on the eve of the match that it would have been "remarkable" to leave Pope out after his hundred against Zimbabwe and that it showed "how well he's handled that extra scrutiny". But Pope's visceral celebration proved that he had felt the pressure, which Duckett attributed to his "courage" and the dressing room's support.

"If someone needs you to get around him, we'll do that; if someone needs to be left alone, we'll do the same," Duckett said. "What's been going on through Popey's head for the last few weeks, I don't know. But to be told two or three days out that you're playing is probably a good thing… The way Popey's dealt with it has been superb and just sums up and proves why he's England's No. 3."

Duckett himself scored 62 before inside-edging Jasprit Bumrah on to his stumps, and heaped praise onto India's spearhead.

"He is the best bowler in the world," Duckett said. "He's extremely hard to face. He's good in any conditions; he's good in India on the flattest pitches ever and when he's coming in down the hill [at Headingley] with the lights on and it's swinging both ways.

"I feel like we minimised the damage early on. It could have been a lot worse today… He is just a world-class bowler, and you can't let someone like him just bowl; he's too good for that. You've got to still try and put him under pressure, and try to put the bad balls away."