Ollie Pope prepared to step in for Ben Stokes in India

The England Test captain is currently recovering from surgery on a long-term chronic knee injury, and the vice-skipper is ready to step up if he doesn't make the first Test in Hyderabad

Ollie Pope says "it would be silly for me not to prepare" for the possibility of stepping in for Ben Stokes if England's Test captain is unfit for the start of the India series.

The Surrey batter, vice-captain since May, has recovered from the shoulder injury suffered during the second Ashes Test at Lord's which torched his summer and was a non-playing member during the one-day international series defeat to West Indies.

Stokes is currently recovering from an injury of his own - a chronic left knee issue which required surgery at the end of November, accompanied by the message "rehab starts now".

England's talismanic allrounder is confident he will be fully recovered in time for the start of the series in Hyderabad on January 25, the first of five Tests spread across six-and-a-half weeks.

"I think naturally when you are vice-captain there is always a risk that the captain can go down," Pope said.

More or less back to full fitness, Pope has been unused in the Caribbean (Ashley Allen/Getty Images)

Pope's summer was ended in cruel circumstances in the second Ashes Test at Lord's (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

"Of course, that is something that I can think about if it needs to happen but the feedback I have had from the physios [over Stokes' fitness] since the surgery has been really positive. Stokesy is doing good but it would be silly for me not to prepare."

Not featuring in the three Windies ODIs was a regretable way for Pope to end a frustrating 2023 having been unable to assist in England's failed attempts to win back the Ashes after going down at the self-styled home of cricket.

"It was awesome to watch and I couldn't leave my sofa some days," the 25-year-old said of the series. "It was frustrating not playing but the guys put on a real good show and I felt I was living it with them a little bit from my sofa with my shoulder in a sling

"I'm good. The shoulder has been good. It's a stable joint and it can still be sore when I'm throwing, but that's something I'm going to have to put up with for a while."

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