Will Jacks has known Ollie Pope for over a decade, but nothing can compare to the facial expression of Pope as he heard about his call-up into the England Test squad. It was Sunday afternoon and Jacks was outside his house waiting for his Surrey teammate, Pope to arrive so he could drive him to the team's T20 match against Essex at Chelmsford. But the minute Pope stepped out of the car talking on the phone, Jacks witnessed a facial impression that was incredibly peculiar.

"He looked in complete shock. I just asked what happened and he said 'I've been called up into the England Test squad'. "He simply couldn't believe it. He was totally not expecting it and it took a while to sink in," Jacks told mid-day yesterday. Pope was picked in the England squad for the upcoming second Test against India and is almost certain to make his debut on Thursday.