Ollie Pope hopes for a fresh start at The Oval in the next match

For the first time in two decades, England's cricket team has the opportunity to end their summer with a perfect win record, something they haven’t achieved since 2004. Central to their recent triumphs has been Joe Root and fast-rising pacer Gus Atkinson. The 26-year-old Atkinson, with a string of impressive performances, recently secured a spot on the Lord's honours board with a stunning five-wicket haul that clinched an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

"Hopefully, I can put a score together..."

However, while England's successes have made headlines, stand-in captain Ollie Pope has found himself under the microscope for his lack of form with the bat. The England number three, who has temporarily taken over captaincy duties from the injured Ben Stokes, has endured a string of low scores, leading to scrutiny over whether the pressures of leadership are affecting his game.

"I'm not going to hide behind the fact that I've had two poor games with the bat. That's the way cricket is sometimes and form comes and goes. But I think the best players are the ones who can draw a line under it and have a fresh start next week. Hopefully, I can put a score together.

"The last two games I've had, they're learning games for me. It definitely is something that I'm still trying to improve in my game, and obviously the way that I start my innings especially is something that I want to keep on improving - and then when I do get in, it's trying to cash in as well," he said.

"I'm not surprised. Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain as well, you're going to attract a lot more [criticism]. To be honest, it is just important to block it out and keep staying close with the people around you. There's a lot of voices, a lot of guys who want to have their say - some past cricketers as well - and that's completely fine.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but it's important for us as a team and me to stay and keep trusting the people in the four walls, because that's not going to help me get back into my best form. Sometimes, when you have two bad games, it can feel a lot worse than it is because of the noise that's surrounding it.

"For me, it's just trying to stay as level as I can and keep on trusting the people around me, putting my work in, and not really overthinking it, to be honest. When I went and made good runs in that West Indies series, that's exactly what I was playing like, so there's no real need for me to get too involved in what people are saying," said Pope.

Pope acknowledges struggles, targets The Oval for comeback

Despite scoring a century and two half-centuries in a successful series against the West Indies, Pope has faltered against Sri Lanka, recording scores of 6, 6, 1, and 17. Former cricketers and pundits have raised concerns about his shot selection and mental approach at the crease, suggesting that captaincy may be weighing heavily on the 25-year-old batsman.

Speaking after England's commanding 190-run win at Lord's, Pope admitted that his lack of runs had not gone unnoticed but remains confident in his ability to regain form. He expressed excitement for the upcoming match at The Oval, his home ground, as a chance to make a fresh start and contribute more significantly with the bat.

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As England prepares for the final match of the series against Sri Lanka, Pope also looks ahead to helping his team achieve a historic cleansweep – something the squad last accomplished in 2004, when they whitewashed New Zealand (3-0) and West Indies (4-0). Despite the individual struggles, Pope remains hopeful that England will continue their remarkable summer run and finish on a high note.  "It would be a pretty cool thing to look back on. We've played some really good cricket throughout this summer, and obviously had a tough winter away in India where the results weren't what we wanted on the return trip. So to get used to winning games back-to-back is really pleasing for us," he concluded.