LONDON: England remain optimistic that Jacob Bethell will recover in time for the opening Test against New Zealand despite the finger injury that cut short his Indian Premier League campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The 22-year-old batter returned to England over the weekend after injuring his left ring finger, forcing him to leave defending IPL champions Bengaluru ahead of the play-offs.
Bethell underwent a scan on Tuesday, and while England’s medical staff will continue to assess his condition before the first Test at Lord’s on June 4, the left-hander is still expected to retain his place at number three in the batting order.
The youngster heads into the series with growing confidence after scoring a breakthrough century in England’s previous Test appearance — the final Ashes match against Australia in Sydney earlier this year.
