England pick Pope over Bethell for first India Test
Agencies
England have retained Ollie Pope at number three for the first Test against India at Headingley on Friday, meaning Jacob Bethell misses out, reports BBC.com.
Vice-captain Pope would have been the most vulnerable member of the top order had England wanted to include 21-year-old Bethell.
Bethell has never made a professional century, but looks set for a big future in international cricket. He impressed with three half-centuries in three Tests against New Zealand last year and again in making 82 in the first one-day international against West Indies last month.
England have resisted change in sticking with Pope, who made 171 in the defeat of Zimbabwe - a Test Bethell missed because he was playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League.
Before that Test, captain Ben Stokes appeared to hint Bethell would make an immediate return to the England XI, only to later clarify he was referring to the squad and claimed his words were 'twisted to suit an agenda'.
And Stokes has kept faith with Pope at the beginning of a defining period for his captaincy. The five Tests against India are followed by an Ashes tour of Australia.
In return, Pope will need to improve on his record against Australia and India. In a combined 18 Tests against the two, he averages 22.05, compared to his career mark of 35.49.
Elsewhere, the England XI is as expected, with pace bowlers Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse returning in place of Sam Cook and Gus Atkinson as the two changes from the Zimbabwe Test.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
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