Ollie Pope: Harry Brook has got the Test game to be successful

GEORGE DOBELL AT THE KIA OVAL: England and South Africa go into the final Test of the summer with the series level at 1-1. And with Jonny Bairstow absent having sustained a freak injury while playing golf, they are set to bring in Brook for his debut

Ollie Pope has backed Harry Brook to thrive at Test level and insists England will not change their positive approach with the series on the line.

England and South Africa go into the final Test of the summer with the series level at 1-1. And with Jonny Bairstow absent having sustained a freak injury while playing golf, they are set to bring in Harry Brook for his debut as a replacement.

England are also looking to win six Tests in a home summer for the first time since 2004, when they won all seven.

While Pope accepts the absence of Bairstow, who has scored four Test centuries this summer, is "gutting”" he clearly has huge confidence in Brook, who is averaging 107.44 in the LV= Insurance County Championship this season.

And while he believes his captain, Ben Stokes, may have provided a template for how to bat in tricky conditions during his century at Lord's, Stokes made a high-class century in the second Test, with his first 50 runs taking more than 100 deliveries. The second 50, however, came at almost a run a ball and set England on course to win the match.

^{Harry Brook is set to make his Test debut this week [Getty Images]}

"We're going to try go about it in the same way we have every Test this summer," Pope said. "The same processes. Nothing's going to change just because the series is on the line. The boys are up for it and very excited.

"We'll definitely be playing that positive brand of cricket again. We're all learning but I think we saw how Stokes went about his innings in Manchester. He played a ridiculous knock that showed exactly how you can do it. It's about attacking when the time's right but weathering the storm a little bit as well.

"Everyone's free to bat exactly how they want. It is not that you've got to go out there and whack it.

"You can go out there take the positive option and if it doesn't come off, then that's not an issue. You're going to have 100 per cent backing from the changing room.

"I've been on under-19s tours with Harry so have played with him since I was 18. He's a seriously good player"

"But it's about weathering the storm sometimes when things are tougher, when it is maybe moving around a little bit more.

"Then, as soon as you see a chance where you can really extend the lead in the game, that's a great time to take that positive option.”

Although the loss of Bairstow, in the form of his life, is clearly a blow, Pope is confident that in Brook, England have the ideal substitute.

"Brook is absolutely ready," Pope said. "I've been on under-19s tours with Harry so have played with him since I was 18. He's a seriously good player.

^{Ollie Pope, right, has backed Brook to succeed in the Test arena [Getty Images]}

"He's not the type of guy that this occasion would faze. He impresses me in how chilled he is. He's obviously played some T20s [of England] so he's been around a while. There's no doubt that he's got the Test game to go on and be successful.

"He's been in ridiculous form this season. I think he's averaged over 100 in the Championship and he's 100 per cent got the game to take that into Test cricket. He's got the mind-set as well. He just loves batting. So I'm excited for him. He's a top player and an exciting prospect."

Brook apart, England look set to name an unchanged team for the game. Training at The Kia Oval was interrupted by rain on Tuesday afternoon, but all players appeared fine in the nets.