Joe Root Praises Jacob Bethell's "Conviction" in England's Historic MCG Victory

Bethell, the generation next of England and in line to replace their iconic all-rounder Ben Stokes once he hangs up his boots, gave a glimpse of what he could offer at number three with a brilliant knock of 40 runs in front of a jam-packed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), helping England avoid a whitewash.

During his stay, Bethell also got to spend some time on the crease with the second-highest Test run-getter in Tests, Root, who found a little bit of fulfillment on this tour despite losing the Ashes series, as he secured his maiden Test century and win on Aussie soil, adding some more weightage to his legacy as the 'Greatest of All Time' in Tests if he happens to take down Sachin Tendulkar's mark of 15,921 runs.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Root expressed disappointment at losing the series but was happy with the way the team applied themselves and showed bravery on such a tricky surface, where 20 wickets fell on the first day alone, followed by 16 on day two.

"Obviously, to lose a series is always very disappointing, but I think it was really important that we showed a lot of character in the rest of the series (on his first Test win in Australia). I think it has been a lot of fun for this team, and the way we have responded over the past two days has been excellent. Clearly, it was a fast-forward test match with the service we were given, but I think we adapted to it as much as we could. We exploited all the opportunities. We showed a bit of bravery today in the way that we approached things with the bat, and it is quite a worthy test match."

Speaking on his leg-before-wicket dismissal by Jhye Richardson, Root expressed dissapointment, saying, "It is disappointing to get out of that stage, but we wanted to take responsibility and see a team home. It was up to me, but to win the game, that's the most important thing. I am really pleased and proud of all these lads. They have a few of them on their first tour, so experiencing what they get is essential. As I said, we have to make sure we improve on it and carry that confidence into the next game. I know it is never about you when you talk about this team. You want to do it for everyone else, but what a special occasion here at the MCG."

Besides his 138* at Brisbane during the pink-ball Test, his first Test ton in Australia, Root has not been able to do a lot in the series other than this, scoring just 96 runs in his other seven innings, with his second-highest score being 39.

"Outstanding (on Jacob Bethell). The conviction he played with, the smarts he used in the crease to make it difficult for the ball to hold its length, and just operating when they wanted to. It takes bravery, courage, and a lot of skill to execute as well as he did. It was outstanding. It's why I think he is going to have such a bright future in international cricket," he concluded.

Coming to the match, England won the toss and opted to bowl first. Josh Tongue (5/45) took England's first-ever Boxing Day Test five-wicket haul at MCG, as Australia were skittled out for 152 runs in 45.2 overs, with Michael Neser (35 in 49 balls, with seven fours) and Usman Khawaja (29 in 52 balls, with two fours) being the top scorers for Australia. Neser also shared a half-century stand with Cameron Green (17) before a run out triggered another collapse ending in an all-out.

England was bundled out for 110 in 29.5 overs in their first innings, with Harry Brook (41 in 34 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Gus Atkinson (28 in 35 balls, with three fours and a six). A mix of England's 'Bazball' approach failing yet again and the pitch being absolutely unplayable for batters gave Neser (4/45) and hometown hero Scott Boland (3/30) easy wickets. England trailed by 42 runs.

In their second innings, Australia failed to make an impact, once again highlighting the pitch's venomous, treacherous nature. Only Travis Head (46 in 67 balls, with four boundaries) and Steve Smith (24* in 39 balls, with a four) crossed the 20-run mark as England bundled them out for just 132 runs in 34.3 overs. Aussies led by 174 runs, setting an easy 175 to win for England. Brydon Carse (4/34) and skipper Ben Stokes (3/24) were the top bowlers for England.

In the run chase, England started well with a half-century stand between Zak Crawley (37 in 48 balls, with three fours and a six) and Ben Duckett (34 in 26 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and a 47-run stand for the third wicket between Crawley and Jacob Bethell (40 in 46 balls, with five fours). Australia did fight back a bit, reducing England from 112/2 to 165/6, but the pair of Harry Brook (18*) and Jamie Smith (3*) guided their team to a memorable win.

- ANI