Ben Stokes has strongly hinted that Jacob Bethell will return to England's Test XI for their marquee series against India next month, once the all-rounder returns from his IPL commitments.
Speaking ahead of England's Test against Zimbabwe, which Bethell is unavailable for having returned to India to play for RCB in the IPL playoffs, Stokes outlined his vision for the 21-year-old's selection going forward.
"You look at what Beth [Jacob Bethell] did in the winter for us, he has done himself the world of good by the performances he put in there with being part of our plans going forward," Stokes told BBC Sport. "If you're smart enough, the series that Beth had out in New Zealand, obviously he's going to be back in the UK for that India series. So, I think you put two and two together, you probably know what's going to happen."
Bethell won a call-up to England's Test side in New Zealand in December last year after Jordan Cox was ruled out days before the first match of the series with a fractured finger. Cox was in the side in the place of Jamie Smith, who missed the series on paternity leave.
The young all-rounder made an impressive start to his career in the format, despite being pushed up to No.3 having previously never batted higher than four for Warwickshire. He scored an unbeaten half-century on debut, the first of three for him in the series, including falling four runs short of a century in Wellington.
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To accomodate Smith's absence, Cox's injury and Bethell's inclusion in New Zealand, Ollie Pope shifted from his usual position at No.3 to take the gloves lower down the order. However, with Bethell out for the Test against Zimbabwe and Smith back in, Pope is set to resume his role at first drop. Bringing Bethell back into the side against India, then, will not only provide Stokes and Brendon McCullum with a dilemma over who to leave out, but over how to shuffle their batting order.
Pope's place in the side fell under pressure over the winter after he returned a top score of 29 across six innings in England's series in Pakistan. He made two half-centuries in New Zealand in his position down the order.
The other player who could take the fall for Bethell's return is Zak Crawley, who hasn't passed 30 in his last 10 Test innings, and underwhelmed for Kent in the early rounds of the County Championship. Should Crawley be the one to make way, England will face a choice between promoting Bethell up the order once again, or reshuffling their batting pack further.
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