England were forced to select a funky batting order for the first Test in New Zealand, with debutant Jacob Bethell put in at three and Ollie Pope moved down the order as a makeshift keeper. However, their success in Christchurch combined with long-term questions mean they are likely to keep the arrangement this week in Wellington.
On the face of it, putting Bethell in at No.3 for his Test debut, with no first-class hundred and only a handful of games to his name, was another bonkers Bazball selection. However, it can’t fully make it into the top echelons of those given that it was manufactured out of necessity more than it was by choice.
When Bethell was called up as the spare batter for the series, it was unlikely he’d even be playing, let alone batting in the top order. With Jamie Smith on paternity leave, Jordan Cox was already inked in to keep wicket. However, when he was ruled out just three days before the start of the Christchurch game with a broken thumb, there was little chance of getting a fully-fledged keeper-batter out as his replacement with three day’s notice and a 24-hour flight in between. That became even more complicated when Ollie Robinson’s passport proved to be out of date.
Thus, the arrangement that England fell back on in the Rawalpindi Test in 2022 had to stand. Pope had to take the gloves, and as a result move down the order - a neat solution to his struggles at three. The only decision that was in England’s hands was whether to move one of their established names to No.3 and lessen the intensity on a 21-year-old on his first Test tour.
The philosophy England have followed in these selections is to back talent over track record. That’s why Josh Hull was selected against Sri Lanka, and why Shoaib Bashir is now England’s first-choice spinner. They have also generally backed who they see as their best batter to do whatever job is needed of them. That’s why Dan Lawrence opened against Sri Lanka and why Pope batted at No.3 in the first place. Combine that with Bethell’s own plentiful self-belief, it was probably only a fleeting question that they would move the order around to better accommodate him.
First Test, first fifty.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 1, 2024
Jacob Bethell smashed the joint-second fastest debut fifty in Test history, sealing the game with the winning runs to complete a perfect start in England whites.
Read here ➡️https://t.co/kcKc2dYI0z pic.twitter.com/7EEz7FkIyM
Unwittingly, England landed on a winning formula. Bethell hit the winning runs in Christchurch and registered his maiden Test half-century at the same time, though it was arguably his first-innings fight that would have more impressed England. Pope was tidy behind the stumps and passed 30 for the first time since the summer. With the help of Brydon Carse, England looked rejuvenated after their nightmare second two Tests in Pakistan, and managed to pull off a bodge-job as a masterstroke.
However, reservations about changing a winning team aside, they now have other options.
Robinson arrived in New Zealand during the first Test, which concluded on his 26th birthday. While his absence provided a neat way for Pope to move away from the No.3 spot in which he’s found struggled for consistency over the last year, the logical solution would be to hand the keeping duties over to Robinson, who was unlucky to miss out to Smith at the beginning of the summer, and put Pope back up to three, bookmarking Bethell’s success for a future day. But that’s not really England, nor is it the best use of what they currently have available to them.
New Zealand isn’t, broadly speaking, a difficult place to keep. Pope looked confident with the gloves and, importantly, his first innings 77 came after over a day behind the stumps. As a stop gap in these particular conditions and with this particular quirk of selection balance and players available, it works to keep Pope as a keeper-bat. Equally, freeing him up with a stint down the order might provide a pressure release for if he is eventually moved back up to No.3.
Nevertheless, keeping Pope as designated gloveman poses a couple of challenges. It would mean Robinson had a wasted long-haul trip to New Zealand, albeit ahead of a Lions tour to Australia in the New Year. And while Pope seemed to enjoy dropping down to No.6, keeping him there means he has less time to crack the No.3 role ahead of 10 Tests against India and Australia, and also gives England less information about who their best No.3 is.
But, with Smith unavailable and Robinson their third-choice keeper, England can put off those bigger decisions until the summer rolls round. They can focus purely on picking the best side to claim their first Test series in New Zealand since 2008. It would be a hard sell that changing the side from Christchurch would make them any more likely to do that.
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