London, Dec 30 (.) England youngster Jacob Bethell is aiming to build on his impressive performance in Melbourne and lock down the No.3 spot with another strong display in the
final Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney.
According to the Intrnational Cricket Council (ICC), Bethell played a major role in England’s four-wicket triumph over Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, with the bold left-hander showing composure beyond his years to score a valuable 40 in the final innings of the match to help guide his side past the victory target.
It was Bethell’s first chance of the Ashes series as mainstay Ollie Pope was preferred for the opening three Tests that England failed to flatter in, with the 22-year-old likely to get another opportunity to make the key spot his own when the series finale commences in Sydney on January 4.
“I like three,” Bethell said.
“You come in when the ball is new and in some scenarios the ball’s going all over the shop, but in other scenarios it presents opportunities to score when bowlers are trying to take wickets and the field is attacking there’s loads of gap, he said.
“I’ve still got a lot more to do to call it my position,” Bethell said.
“I would like to (make the spot my own). I would like to just nail down any role in the team. If you’re in the XI and contributing to winning I’m pretty happy with that,” he said
Bethell said his time in the Indian Premier League with Royal Challengers Bangalore had helped him prepare for the big stage of a Boxing Day Test in Melbourne as he had previously had experience playing in front of large crowds.
“It’s knowing what I’m able to get out of myself when the situation is like that and when the atmosphere is like that,” Bethell noted of the crowds in excess of 90,000 at the MCG,” he said.
“I definitely had a lot more confidence coming into this game after playing in front of, I don’t know, 50,000 – which felt like 100,000 – in Bengaluru,” Bethell said.
And while Ben Stokes didn’t guarantee Bethell the important No.3 spot in the Test side going forward, the England captain did suggest his efforts in Melbourne would lead to another chance
in the crucial role.
“It certainly doesn’t do him (Bethell) any non-favours,” Stokes said after the victory in Melbourne.
“He played well coming in under a little bit of pressure with where the team results were at before this game,” Stokes said.
“He got an unplayable delivery in the first innings. So then to go out there and play the way that he did there, I think shows a lot about his character and the confidence that he has within himself,” he said.
“So yes, something for Beth to be able to build on, definitely,” Stokes added.
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