Ollie Pope relishes the roles of wicketkeeper and lower-order batsman, as evidenced by his performance in the first two days of the Christchurch Test. His adept glove work went unnoticed for all the right reasons, and his crucial 77 with the bat significantly tilted the match in England's favor. However, even if Pope continues to fulfill both roles for the rest of the New Zealand tour—with Durham's Ollie Robinson being flown in as an alternative after Jordan Cox's thumb injury—there is still a strong desire to reclaim his position at No. 3.

Despite Pope's struggles in the 2-1 series loss in Pakistan, where he managed only 59 runs and faced questions about his suitability for the role, he remains determined. Speaking after he and Harry Brook, unbeaten on 132, had rescued England from a precarious position on the second day of the first Test at Hagley Oval, Pope emphasized that his approach would have been identical had he been batting at No. 3.

"I want to be No. 3; I want to keep trying to make it mine," Pope said. "I've had too many low scores there but I've also managed to put together some good knocks this year. It's definitely a job I want to keep doing."

Pope highlighted the differences between batting at No. 3 and No. 6, noting that at No. 3, he sets the tone for the innings. "The fun thing at six, you might come in at 350 for four and it might be your job to push the game forward. [Or] you can get your team out of a tricky situation. Both roles are good fun, just slightly different."

The contrast between this Test and the Pakistan series was not just in the conditions but also in his mindset. Pope had sought advice from Surrey's outgoing director of cricket, Alec Stewart, between tours. "I didn't get Stewy throwing balls on the dog stick, he's too high up for that I think. We had an open discussion and it's probably healthy to talk to someone from outside who's been watching you," Pope explained.

"Sometimes that's a nice opinion to have. I gained a lot from going back and talking to him. Pakistan wasn't an easy tour and I wasn't good enough to find a way. For me, it was really important to draw a line under it." Pope focused on regaining his best form, discussing how to maintain calmness at the crease and avoid rushing his innings.

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