Follow UsIn a surprising turn of events, England named Jacob Bethell as their number three batter for the first Test against New Zealand, starting November 28 (Thursday) at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The announcement made on November 25 (England time) came along with the Three Lions’ playing 11 for the first game of the three-match series.
Since Jordan Cox got ruled out of the series after injuring his thumb in training, England were forced to make two changes as he was their batter at number three as well as the wicketkeeper. Now, Ollie Pope, deputy to skipper Ben Stokes, will keep wickets.
For Pope, it might turn out to be a make or break series as the right-handed batter, expected to bat number six, has only two centuries to show for after his magnificent 196 against India back in Hyderabad in January this year. More importantly, he averages only 26.21.
Bethell, the left-handed batter and left-arm orthodox spinner is in the same mould as Moeen Ali, except that he bowls left-handed. However, the 21-year-old, who played the final of the U-19 World Cup in 2022, has not played even a single game at number three in the 30 innings of his 20-match first-class career.
The Warwickshire all-rounder doesn’t have great red-ball numbers, but in the Bazball era of Test cricket in England, numbers really don’t matter as long as it fits their ‘horses of courses’ theory. Bethell has accumulated 738 runs at an average of 25.44 and taken only seven wickets.
However, more recently, he has been in great form for England, scoring three fifties in his last six innings. England will be missing their regular keeper-batter Jamie Smith, who is away on paternity leave.
Apart from Bethell, England’s main spin bowling option will be Shoaib Bashir, who will be playing his 13th Test, missing only one of the Tests England have played ever since his debut in Visakhapatnam on February 2nd, 2024.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes (C), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir
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