Jacob Bethell: England’s outstanding winter mixed player offers hope for the future in all formats

Bethel’s hitting this winter, from Southampton to Sydney and then the semi-final in Mumbai, has shown a versatility akin to Freddie Mercury’s vocal range.

His Test debut in the fifth Ashes Test was an old-school epic – 154 runs compiled in six hours of batting.

He cut, pulled, drove and cut using snapshots from the oldest textbook.

But Bethel’s 105 off 48 balls against India, which kept England’s record-chasing attempt alive until the end, was more reflective of the modern world.

It depicted a man with bleached blonde curls who left his home in Barbados as a teenager to pursue his dreams in England. A player who was signed by one of the world’s biggest T20 franchises before his international place was secured.

“They’re not really comparable,” Bethell said of his two hundreds.

“The skills and mental thinking are different but both feelings are very good.

“But they both came in lost causes, which is a weird feeling.”

On Thursday, Bethel cracked a switch-hit over Varun Chakravarthy, played a precise reverse scoop off Hardik Pandya and, with flowing hands and flashing wrists, swatted the ball around.

He didn’t deserve to run out in the final, face down in the dirt. When he fell, even India’s supporters rose to their feet to applaud.

Bethel’s performances have validated England’s decision to bring him out of relative obscurity. He has played just 20 first-class matches when he gets his Test debut in New Zealand in 2024.

He was seen as calm beyond his years even then, but his tense mentality and clear thinking were on display once again in the hectic atmosphere at Wankhede Stadium.

Between deliveries, he would wander to the side of the leg to steady himself before re-engaging with the task at hand.

“Some players like to go and stay and face the next ball as quickly as possible, but I like to get clear for two to five seconds and give myself a slap on the platform,” he said.