LONDON: Jacob Bethell was impressive on his Test debut against New Zealand in Christchurch last year scoring an unbeaten 50 off just 37 balls as England chased down 104-run target to win the opening contest. The left-hand batter followed it up with 118-ball 96 and 76 in the next two matches as England won the three-match series 2-1.
All his half-centuries came in the second innings playing at No 3 as Ollie Pope had taken wicket-keeping duties in absence of injured Jordon Cox and moved back to No 6. Apart from scoring 260 runs at an average of 52, Bethell also claimed three wickets in the series. The 21-year-old was also handed a two-year central contract a week after his Test debut. The splendid show meant England head coach Brendon McCullum even admitted that Pope is no longer guaranteed a spot in the playing XI with India series and all-important Ashes looming.
However, Bethell then decided to miss the one-off Zimbabwe Test and instead continued his stint with the eventual IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2025 season. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also allowed the rising star to honour his commitment with the IPL franchise. He played only two matches for RCB opening the innings with Virat Kohli. In his first match, he scored 12 against Delhi Capitals and then went on to slam a 33-ball 55 in the next against Chennai Super Kings.
But everything comes at a cost and Bethell was no different. Pope, who is captaining England in absence of injured Ben Stokes in the fifth and final Test against India at the Oval, returned to his original batting position against Zimbabwe hammering a 166-ball 171. Bethell was named in the England squad for the first Test against India but it was Pope who made it to the playing XI and batted at No 3 scoring a century, his second in a row.
Given his non-selection, Bethell was released from the Test squad. He played for Warwickshire against Somerset in a Division I County match two days later after the first Test started at Headingley and turned up thrice for Bears in the Vitality Blast Men.
Pope, meanwhile, failed to capitalise on the start as he could manage only 72 in the next five innings. The middling returns also led to talks of Bethell's inclusion in the playing XI replacing Pope. Ahead of the third match at Lord's Dinesh Karthik, former India player, mentor and batting coach of RCB, told Sky Sports Cricket podcast that he would have picked Bethell ahead of Pope. "I am a bit biased. I would pick him [Bethell] at No. 3. At this point of time, I'd pick him ahead of Ollie Pope," he said in the podcast.
"The fact is that if you are an England selector and coach, it's unfair to Pope. He got a hundred in the last game. But if you look at the long run, it would be interesting to see where Bethell and Pope finish. I feel, along with Harry Brook, he is probably the big one to watch out for."
Pope then scored 71 in the fourth Test at Manchester thus further cementing his place in the playing XI. When it looked Bethell may not get a chance against India, Ben Stokes, England captain, was ruled out of the fifth Test at the Oval opening door for his return to the team. Speaking on Bethell a day before the match, Stokes said he is very confident in the youngster's ability. "I think there was a lot more hype and a lot more pressure on his shoulders in New Zealand when he was given that chance to bat at three and he handled that pretty well. I think being the type of player that he is, where he plays all three formats, probably allows him to be a bit more versatile with where he bats and the order. He batted at three in New Zealand and did very well. He gets a slide in at six. I'm very confident of his ability. He's a quality player," Stokes had said.
As luck would have it, Bethell is back for England in whites and more importantly all geared up to play a key role for the team under captaincy of Pope, the man he has almost overtaken to stake his claim at No 3 position only a few months ago.
