England's young all-rounder Jacob Bethell produced a career-defining performance on Day 4 of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, smashing an unbeaten 142 in 232 balls to help his side finish the day at 240 for 5, taking a 119-run lead over Australia's first-innings total of 567. The 22-year-old left-hander, who had narrowly missed out on his maiden Test century against New Zealand the previous year, described the moment as one that "was always coming," even as he navigated some tense spells against Australia's pace attack. Bethell became the second-youngest England player this century to score an Ashes century, behind only Alastair Cook, who achieved the feat at the age of 21 years and 357 days in Perth in 2006.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Bethell reflected on the nerves he felt during the innings but insisted he stayed composed under pressure. "It has not sunk in yet, and I have not had the time to reflect on it. It was nice to do it in front of my family," he said. When asked about the nerves in the nineties, he admitted there were moments of tension, particularly against Scott Boland's relentless accuracy and Mitchell Starc's short-pitched barrage. "I was quite happy when they brought Spin on rather than Boland. I was a bit nervous around him. Boland just lands it there, and he's pretty hard to score off, especially when they bring the field up," Bethell explained. He reached his hundred with a confident boundary off Beau Webster over wide long-on, capping a knock filled with 15 fours.

Bethell credited his ability to stay switched on against Australia's tactics, which included probing deliveries outside off-stump and occasional bouncers from Starc. "Clearly, they were trying to get me to have a nervous feel outside off-stump when I was close to a hundred. But I was pretty switched on to that. I did not want to fall into that trap. Starc bowling a couple bouncers as well (was) pretty canny. But I managed to not fall for any of them," he added. The young all-rounder also highlighted the importance of adapting to the situation, noting that a lead of 180-190 would give England a strong position heading into the final day, especially with the second new ball looming.

Also Read: Ben Duckett Silences Aussie Fan With Savage On-Field Reply at MCG

Reflecting on his journey to this milestone, Bethell revealed that missing selection for the first three tests of the series turned out to be a blessing in disguise. "I think it was actually a blessing. I actually was not batting that well at the start of the series," he admitted. After scoring modest returns for England Lions and the England XI, he felt his form had improved significantly by the time he got his opportunity in Sydney. "It was actually quite nice timing. No one likes to sit on the sidelines. I was chomping at the bit to get going, but I think the timing was pretty good," he concluded.

Bethell's unbeaten 142* has kept England firmly in the contest despite Australia's commanding first-innings total, built on centuries from Travis Head (163) and Steve Smith (138), along with Beau Webster's aggressive 71. With the series already decided, Bethell's knock provides England with hope of salvaging pride in the final Test. His ability to absorb pressure and play with maturity at such a young age has drawn praise, marking him as a rising star in English cricket. As Day 5 approaches, all eyes will be on whether Bethell can push England towards a competitive total and give his bowlers something substantial to defend on a wearing SCG pitch.

Also Read: Jacob Bethell Hits Maiden Ashes Century; Youngest England Batter Since 2006