Ashes: Moeen Ali ‘all good’ to play in second Test after finger injury, says England vice-captain Ollie Pope

England vice-captain Ollie Pope thinks Moeen Ali should be “all good” to play in the second Ashes Test after struggling with a finger injury.

A blister affected his performance in the first Test and he was only able to bowl 14 overs in Australia’s second innings.

Speaking about his team-mate’s injury, Pope said: “It was pretty unfortunate what happened.

“I think Mo is all good. Hopefully over these few days it has looked after itself and hopefully he is fit to play.”

Ali bowled in nets during a practice session on Monday – two days ahead of the start of the second Test at Lord’s – and showed no signs of his finger causing him further issues.

Pope was asked if a spinner will be needed at Lord’s and he said: “To be honest it depends what the wicket looks like.”

“We know Lord’s can be bowler friendly sometimes but we have seen the role Leachy [Jack Leach] has played over the last year in bowler friendly conditions as well so it is a great option to have.”

England have promised to continue with their ultra-positive approach to the game this summer, which has been instilled by head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

There has been criticism in some quarters about so-called ‘Bazball’ but Pope insists every bold decision is meticulously crafted.

“I know sometimes it can look like it’s just moments of madness but all the decisions that are made are well thought out with a vision of the end goal,” he said.

“These decisions aren’t just a rash thought. They are well thought out and spoken about by senior players in the changing room.”