LONDON: England vice-captain Ollie Pope has retai­ned his place at number three for the first Test against India, meaning rising star Jacob Bethell must wait for his ret­u­rn to red-ball internationals.

The pair were in competition for the same spot head­ing into the first of a five-Test series at Headingley starting on Friday.

Bethell impressed on the New Zealand tour in Novem­ber and December before Pope underlined his credentials with an innings of 171 against Zimbabwe last month.

Bethell missed that match, opting instead to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, although he sho­w­ed his international quality during the recent white-ball series against the West Indies.

Pope has been a mainstay in the Test side under England coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, taking over as skipper for four Tests last year when the all-rounder tore a hamstring.

But there have been concerns over his lack of runs against India and Australia, two of England’s toughest rivals and their opponents over the next 10 Tests, with an Ashes tour of Australia following the India series.

The 27-year-old Pope averages a modest 35.49 over his 56-Test career, but that drops to 24.60 against India and an even more concerning 15.70 in five Ashes appearances.

Stokes suggested there was an “agenda” against Pope after quotes he gave about Bethell’s return to the Test squad were interpreted as a suggestion he would come straight back into the XI.

While Bethell is regarded as one of English cricket’s most talented prospects, the 21-year-old Warwickshire all-rounder has yet to score a hundred in any type of professional cricket.

England have made two cha­nges to the team that beat Zimbabwe by an innings ins­ide three days at Trent Bridge.

The experienced Chris Woakes returns in place of the injured Gus Atkinson to lead the attack and paceman Brydon Carse winning his first home cap at the expense of Sam Cook

Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant said he was relieved pace-bowling greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad are no longer in the England line-up.

Anderson followed fellow paceman Broad into international retirement last year, with England’s two most successful bowlers in Test history having taken a mammoth 1,308 wickets between them.

And while India defeated England 4-1 on home soil last year, you have to go back to 2007 for the last time they won a Test series in England, with the new-ball duo of Anderson and Broad long a thorn in their side.

“It feels so good when both of them are not there. They have been there for England for so many years, and I have only come here for two tours,” Pant told reporters at Headingley on Wednesday.

“But at the same time, they have enough ammunition in the England bowling line-up, we don’t want to take anyone lightly because our team is also young and still looking to develop themselves.”

England squad for first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2025