sports
January 2, 2026
Confused England not helping Jacob Bethell to flourish on bewildering Ashes tour
Batter has been thrown in at the deep end at No 3 and if the selectors have faith in a young player they should be doing everything to help them succeed
TL;DR
- Modern batters' aggressive mindset, encouraged by coaches, leads to more dismissals and accelerated matches.
- England's loss in Perth was exacerbated by an unsatisfactory pitch.
- The team showed determination and competitive spirit in Melbourne after losing the Ashes.
- Jacob Bethell was placed in a difficult position at No. 3 without adequate preparation.
- Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett showed promise as an opening partnership in the second innings chase.
- Josh Tongue is identified as a significant success from the talent ID system.
- Brydon Carse showed improvement in rediscovering his rhythm after a difficult series.
- Matt Potts' inclusion in the final game is noted, with a hope he can learn from Pat Cummins' return to form.
- Management is criticized for creating negative press through a pre-series team event.
- The tour concludes in Sydney with a chance to end on a high note, with the future of the England setup at stake.
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