After sending a strong message in response to his critics before the squad announcement for the India series, Pope assured that he knows where he stands in the "hierarchy".
'He leads a lot of actions. And in this series so far, he's done it with the ball at times that we've needed somebody to put his hand up and create something.'
'Mohammed Siraj and the passion of the Indian boys was too strong and ultimately they deserve to win this Test match.'
England had moved to within 35 runs of securing a famous victory over India when bad light and torrential rain ended an extraordinary fourth day of the final Test at The Oval on Sunday.
As England and India gear up for the final showdown in the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, former England speedster Stuart Broad feels the hosts should make some changes to their Playing XI and rest tearaway Jofra Archer.
Jos Buttler top-scored again as England chased down an imposing target and beat West Indies by four wickets in the second T20 International on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead.
RCB batter Devdutt Padikkal's absence at No. 3 will also be partially filled by Patidar's availability. Padikkal has been sidelined for the remainder of the IPL due to a hamstring injury, and Mayank Agarwal, who is primarily an opener, has been brought in by the franchise to take his place.
Royal Challengers Bangalore faced criticism from fans on social media after three of their high-profile English recruits struggled in the first T20I between India and England
Images from the first One-Day International between India and England in Nagpur, on Thursday.
Drama in the most dramatic of series isn't over yet!
Images from Day 4 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Sunday.
Hazlewood, who was snapped up for a hefty Rs 12.50 crore at the auction, has been a cornerstone of RCB's bowling attack this season, claiming 18 wickets in just 10 matches.
RCB spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan has praised Virat Kohli's improved strike rate against spinners in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
India lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul on a green top but did well to reach 72 for two at lunch on Day 1 of the series-deciding fifth Test against England at The Oval, London, on Thursday.
England head coach Brendon McCullum believes India have arrived well-prepared and full of belief for the upcoming five-match Test series
Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India defeated England by four wickets in the first One-Day International in Nagpur.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
Root surpassed 7000 runs in ODIs and also went past Eoin Morgan to become England's leading ODI run-scorer.
Joe Root returned to England's one-day international squad for the first time since their ill-fated World Cup title defence in November
Stokes, the leading wicket-taker of the series with 17 scalps, will be a mere spectator at The Oval, robbing the series finale of his charismatic on-field presence.
RCB will look to Virat Kohli not just for runs but also for inspiration as they chase that elusive IPL title -- a drought that has persisted for the last 17 years since the IPL's inception in 2008.
West Indies were always struggling in their chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals but their total was boosted by a fine unbeaten 79 from 45 balls by Rovman Powell before they ran out of deliveries.
With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
West Indies finished on 167-9, with Romario Shepherd caught on the final ball of the match.
England skipper Ben Stokes on Thursday said the hosts don't think the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin makes India any lesser side as their "ginormous" talent pool is enough to fill the void.
23-year-old Harshit Rana made his India debut as a concussion substitute, marking a historic first for the format.
Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope scored centuries to take England to a massive 498/3 at the close on the first day of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
"We're deeply grateful for the swift coordination and support from the BCCI, local authorities, and the police who made this possible," the RCB statement added.
England trounced Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs, with four sessions to spare, in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
What's interesting is now fans are questioning the reasons and persons behind their retirements.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), already qualified for the playoffs, will aim to secure a top-two league stage finish when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash in Lucknow.
Kane Williamson scored a magisterial 156 at his most productive venue to drive New Zealand to the brink of a consolation victory over England at the end of the third day of the third Test.
RCB were in red-hot form before the league's 10-day pause due to the India-Pakistan military conflict, winning four matches on the trot. But the break appears to have disrupted their momentum.
Royal Challengers Bangalor will attempt to break a 17-year jinx at the Chepauk stadium when they face Chennai Super Kings in the IPL match on Friday.
England have included five uncapped players for their Twenty20 series against Australia, and Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Matthew Potts and Jamie Smith have been named for the One-Day Internationals, the country's cricket board said on Monday.
GT's other overseas players, including Rashid Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Kagiso Rabada and Karim Janat, stayed with the rest of the squad in India.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking to secure play-off qualification as struggling Lucknow Super Giants aim to stay alive in the tournament when the two sides clash in the Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.
In a video posted by RCB's X handle, Krunal Pandya spoke in the dressing room about two people and crucial moments that turned the tide in their favour.
Nitesh Kumar outclassed Great Britain's Daniel Bethell 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 in the men's singles SL3 category final.
Shreyas Iyer's inspiring leadership faces its toughest test yet when Punjab Kings host an equally upbeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League in Mullanpur on Thursday.
