Ben Stokes hinted at a new number three for India series.
On the eve of the first Test against Zimbabwe in 22 years, England captain Ben Stokes dropped a strong hint about their batting line-up moving forward. England have struggled to find a steady top three for years, but they could have an answer in a young batting sensation. Stokes indicated that Jacob Bethell will return to the England side at number 3 in the India Test series.
“The series that Beth had out in New Zealand, obviously he’s going to be back in the UK for that India series. You look at what Beth did in the winter for us, if you talk about nailing down a position, Beth has done himself the world of good by the performances he put in there with being part of our plans going forward,” said Stokes in the pre-match press conference.
The 21-year-old youngster batted one down on the tour of New Zealand earlier this year and impressed both Stokes and the head coach, Brendon McCullum. Bethell is not part of the Zimbabwe Test due to his Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
With his role confirmed, we try to weigh the pros and cons of having Jacob Bethell at No.3 in the upcoming five-match series against India.
As we know, England have had some serious issues in their top three. The ‘Ah sh*t, Here we go again’ meme for Joe Root still remains relevant. To those unaware, the point of the meme is that England lose two early wickets so often that Root has to come in to face the new ball and save them.
In the last 12 months, Zak Crawley has played nine matches, managing 288 runs at an abysmal average of 19.20 with only two fifty-plus scores. England have shown immense backing to him, but their patience is running thin. Ollie Pope has scored 475 runs at No.3 in this period, averaging 33.92. You could argue, Pope has earned himself more time, irrespective of how the Zimbabwe Test goes.
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We could see Pope moving up to open the innings alongside Ben Duckett, with Bethell slotting in at three. The young gun showed his ability against New Zealand, where he scored 260 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 75, with three half-centuries.
With Bethell at three, England will have a more reliable top three, something they will need against India’s bowling unit. Not being exposed to the new ball often could give the likes of Joe Root and Harry Brook a chance to make a bigger impact.
Speaking about the drawbacks of the move, there aren’t many to highlight as such. Pope, who has batted at number three predominantly, will have to move to open the innings. But No.3 to the top isn’t a drastic change, as he has often faced the new ball.
Perhaps a negative could be that Bethell will have to face the new ball against India’s pace bowling attack, which includes Jasprit Bumrah. Dealing with the sheer genius of Bumrah with a new swinging cherry in his hand could be a gigantic task for the youngster. But given the quality and temperament Bethell possesses, he will relish this challenge.
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