England’s batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell shared that his experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year helped him manage the pressure of making his Ashes debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. England secured a victory by four wickets in a two-day game.
Bethell, 22, stepped in for Ollie Pope and scored a steady 40 runs as England successfully chased down 175 to win the traditional Boxing Day match, putting an end to their 18-match winless streak in Tests in Australia. He was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team that won IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad in June.
“I was pretty nervous. Not so much with the people, just the occasion, I guess. But I’ve played over in India where it feels like there’s 160,000 people watching. This atmosphere was incredible and it was nice to get a win and contribute,” Bethell expressed.
He reflected on his IPL experience, saying, “The IPL, I only played two games but every game and every occasion. Definitely, just knowing what I’m able to get out of myself when the situation is like that and when the atmosphere is like that. 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 – at the Chinnaswamy.”
Bethell also expressed aspirations for a long-term role as England’s number three in Tests but acknowledged the need to perform consistently. “I like three. You come in when the ball is new and in some scenarios, the ball’s going all over the shop,” he noted.
He added, “But in other scenarios it presents opportunities to score when bowlers are trying to take wickets and the field is attacking; there are loads of gaps. So it’s a double-edged sword but I’m enjoying it. I would like to (nail down the role). I would like to just nail down any role in the team, to be honest. If you’re in the XI and contributing to winning, I’m pretty happy with that.”