The ashes of England’s 4-1 drubbing in Australia still smoulder. However, one player came through the fire unscathed. The senior pros were busy falling apart in Sydney. They threw their wickets away like schoolboys rushing for a bus. While they folded, Jacob Bethell was digging in.
His second-innings 154 at the SCG was more than a century. It was a slap in the face to his teammates. Many players in this batting order have swallowed the “Bazball” hype. Jacob Bethell was the only one who showed any real grit. He didn’t just survive. He made the veterans look like amateurs.
How did Jacob Bethell stand up?
Consider the wreckage around him. Ben Duckett, full of bluster, nicked off for 42. Harry Brook, the supposed heir to the throne, flamed out for the same score. Joe Root, the titan, managed six.
Then there was the captain, Ben Stokes. He limped to the crease only to waft at a spinner and depart for a single. They looked frantic. They looked chaotic. They looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. Jacob Bethell, on the other hand, looked like he belonged.
The 22-year-old left-hander faced 265 deliveries. Read that again. England’s current crop of batsmen seems terrified of playing a defensive stroke. Bethell didn’t care; he stayed out there for over six hours. He took everything Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland could throw at him.
His technique had the grit of Alastair Cook and the flair of Brian Lara. He left the ball. He played late. He waited for a gift. When it came, he punished it with a smooth cover drive or a punch off the back foot. Those shots shut the SCG crowd right up. He played proper Test cricket, even as the youngest man in the side.
The “old guard” made excuses about intent and game plans. Jacob Bethell just went out and did the job. He didn’t try to bash his way out of trouble. Instead, he worked his way through it. His 154 was the highest score by an Englishman in the match. That knock put the senior players to shame. Jacob Bethell proved you don’t need to do anything fancy to score runs in Australia. You just need guts, patience, and a straight bat.
What’s next?
The upcoming series against Sri Lanka looms. Selectors should leave the team sheet blank, save for one name. They should write Jacob Bethell’s name in stone at number three. Bethell has every right to look his seniors in the eye.
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He can ask them where their fight went. England need to rebuild from the ground up. To do that, they shouldn’t listen to the big talkers in the dressing room. They should build around the quiet kid who stood his ground while everyone else crumbled.
