Ollie Pope is supported by Marcus Trescothick in India vs England match

England's assistant coach, Marcus Trescothick, has expressed his support for Ollie Pope despite the vice-captain's recent run of low scores during the tour of India.

Pope, who made a match-winning 196 in the first Test, has not surpassed 39 in seven innings since.

He was dismissed twice for naught in the fourth Test defeat. He was stumped for 11 on the opening day of the fifth Test.

On the first day in Dharamsala, England lost eight wickets for 81 runs and 5-8, resulting in being bowled out for 218. At the close, India moved to 135-1, putting them in a strong position to win the series 4-1.

Surrey's Pope played one of England's greatest overseas innings.

Since then, however, he has struggled and has faced just three deliveries, including two ducks in the fourth Test in Ranchi.

After the match, head coach Brendon McCullum commented that Pope was attempting to remain calm.

On Thursday in Dharamsala, Pope was initially restless at the start of his innings, before being stumped by a distance due to running past a Kuldeep Yadav googly.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep, who bowled beautifully for 5-72, said Pope could not remain stationary at the crease for a long time.

Pope is playing his 43rd Test match, having made his debut at the age of 20 in 2018. Although he has an average of 34.25, his recent performances have been inconsistent, with two high scores and several low ones.

Since December 2022, England's number three has only passed the 50-run mark twice in Test cricket, scoring 205 against Ireland at Lord's and 196 in Hyderabad. He was also unable to play in the final three Ashes Tests due to a shoulder injury.

Former England opener Trescothick said:

"Let's keep allowing that to happen. The more we knock down and put pressure on people, the challenges will come. He's definitely improving, as are many other players in our team."