Ollie Pope ended the noise with “incredible hundreds” – Ben Duckett

Duckett was 14 points short of his own century on the first day at the Kia Oval, but he joined his teammates in cheering Pope across the finish line from the team balcony.

Pope finished the match unbeaten on 103 as England managed 221 for three runs on a day when bad light and rain reduced the clock to just 44.1 overs, making him the perfect answer to the question of whether he can balance his role as captain with the demands of being the third batsman.

He averaged just 7.50 in his first four innings as a replacement for the injured Ben Stokes, but his seventh Test hundred in depressingly gloomy conditions told a different story.

“That shouldn’t be the case, but there’s been quite a bit of noise about Popey in the last few weeks,” Duckett said.

“To fend that off and score an incredible hundred was so great. You could see it in his emotions and we are all so happy for him.”

The whole stadium rose as one to celebrate Pope as he scored his 12th first-class ton on his home track, but moments later the cheers turned to boos.

After a nearly three-hour delay earlier in the day, the umpires’ decision to dismiss the teams after less than half the overs had been bowled came as a slap in the face to fans who had paid dearly for tickets.

The debate over bad light regulations continues to generate heated debate. Many argue that playing conditions are too important in Test cricket, but Duckett sided with the officials.

“It’s very easy as a fan to sit there and want to see more cricket, but when it gets really dark and more dangerous, we’re the ones out there playing,” he said.

“It has a big impact when the lights are on full and the ball flies around a bit more. It’s nothing to do with us because we have no choice. The referees take us off the field and we have to respect the decision. We have to follow their rules.”

Duckett appeared calm about his dismissal, which came during a period of sustained aggression from the left-hander.

He resorted to his limited overs playbook and began stepping outside the off stump to force the fast bowlers over his shoulder. With a deliberate stroke, he scored a six and a four before chipping his third attempt to the wicket-keeper.

“If you play like that for a while, you can’t really blame yourself, but I obviously missed a hundred in the test,” he admitted.

“Maybe this is a learning day for me, but I have been considering playing this shot in Test cricket for a long time. It felt like the right option.

“In a way, I’m really happy that I managed to play that shot today. I play it really well in white-ball cricket and it won’t be the last time I play that shot.”