Jacob Bethell, Sam Cook to leave England squad after India Test snub: Report

India Today

4 hours ago

England batter Jacob Bethell and pacer Sam Cook are reportedly set to leave the England squad midway through the ongoing five-match Test series against India. The duo, both overlooked for the third Test at Headingley, will now return to play in the County Championship for Warwickshire and Essex respectively.Bethell, who had been in contention for a place in the playing XI, was left out in favour of Ollie Pope. The 21-year-old, who enjoyed a strong Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, had carried that form into the limited-overs series against West Indies, scoring 82 in the first ODI and contributing impactful cameos of 23*, 26 (10), and 36* (16) in the T20I series, which England won 3-0. However, according to BBC, he will now head back to Warwickshire to maintain his red-ball rhythm, as his wait for a fourth Test cap continues.advertisementENG vs IND, 1st Test Day 1: Updates
Meanwhile, Sam Cook has also been released from the England squad after missing out on a place in the Headingley XI. England opted to bring back experienced seamer Chris Woakes, who returned from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since December last year. Woakes' return meant there was no room for Cook, who had been hoping to add to his solitary Test appearance.Cook has been in impressive form in County Cricket for Essex and was seen as a promising option with the ball. But with England favouring experience for the crucial Headingley clash, the 27-year-old will now shift focus back to domestic cricket in hopes of earning another national call-up.Both players will look to continue their strong domestic performances as they wait for another opportunity at the international level.advertisementEngland won the toss and elected to bowl first in the Headingley Test. India got off to a strong start, with openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal dominating most of the first session. However, Brydon Carse broke the momentum by dismissing Rahul, and Ben Stokes followed up by removing debutant Sai Sudharsan for a duck, shifting the momentum just before lunch on Day 1.