He currently averages 52.00 in Test cricket.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Jacob Bethell has been named in England’s playing XI for the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval.
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England have made four changes for the final Test with captain Ben Stokes ruled out due to an injury. Jacob Bethell comes in as his replacement. Apart from Stokes, England have also made three more changes as Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson are all missing this Test. They have been replaced by Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue.
Jacob Bethell, the 21-year-old all-rounder, made his Test debut against New Zealand during England’s tour in November 2024. He had a great start to his red-ball career, playing three Tests and scoring three fifties in six innings.
One of those innings was a brilliant 96 in the second Test, where he narrowly missed out on a well-deserved century. He was included in the playing XI as Jamie Smith was unavailable for the series, and Bethell stepped up by batting at number three and performing consistently. He currently averages 52.00 in Test cricket.
His performances have not gone unnoticed. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, Ravichandran Ashwin praised Bethell’s talent and said the cricketing world is about to witness another superstar.
“The cricketing world is about to witness another superstar. There is no doubt that he will become one. Yes, I am talking about Jacob Bethell. Jacob Bethell will take Ben Stokes’ place, and I truly believe he is a very talented player. He is a brilliant batsman and can also bowl a bit of left-arm spin,” Ashwin said.
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So far in his short career, Bethell has made the most of every opportunity, whether in Tests, ODIs, or T20Is. In the IPL as well, he played two matches for RCB in the 2025 season and scored a fifty in the second game.
With Ben Stokes ruled out of the final Test, Bethell is expected to slot into the middle order, likely at number six. With Liam Dawson not part of the playing XI, Bethell might also be asked to bowl a few overs of spin to fill that gap.
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