England all-rounder Jacob Bethell made an impressive Test debut against New Zealand, scoring a brisk unbeaten 37-ball 50 in the second innings to guide his team to an eight-wicket win at Christchurch.
The 21-year-old registered the second-highest strike rate in a 50-plus score on Test debut, second only to New Zealand’s Tim Southee, who had smashed 77 runs off 40 balls against England back in 2008 at Napier.
Bethell, who scored a 34-ball 10 in the first innings, batted at No. 3 in both innings.
The left-handed batter, who also bowls left-arm orthodox spin, was bought by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Rs. 2.6 crore at the recently held auction in Saudi Arabia.
RCB, which is yet to win a trophy, will hope Bethell can fill in the shoes of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and Will Jacks, who were not retained by the franchise after IPL 2024. He has a blistering strike rate of almost 168 in T20Is and can bat in the top and middle-order. Bethell has also been slotted as a finisher in his limited appearances in ODI cricket.
Bethell made his T20I and ODI debut in September this year during the series against Australia. He impressed with two unbeaten half-centuries in the five-match series against West Indies last month.
Bethell is also the youngest England batter to score a fifty in men’s T20Is, having notched it up at 21 years and 17 days during the second T20I against West Indies on November 10.
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