Jacob Bethell scores 162-ball century in Sydney Test, becoming second-youngest to hit an Ashes hundred, while England face Ben Stokes injury.

Sydney: England’s 22-year-old batsman Jacob Bethell made history on Wednesday by making a century in the last Test of the ongoing Ashes series at the Sydney Cricket Ground, becoming only the second youngest to do so in the rivalry series.

Bethell replaced seasoned batter Ollie Pope, who had struggled for runs during the tour. When Bethell arrived at the crease in England’s second innings, the team had already lost opener Zak Crawley to the fifth ball and were trailing Australia by 179 runs.

The teenage batsman first formed an 81-run partnership with Ben Duckett, who was dismissed in the 20th over after scoring 39 runs. Following Joe Root’s swift departure, Bethell and vice-captain Harry Brook formed a steady 100-run partnership.

Bethell scored his first Test century off 162 balls, reaching the milestone with a slog over wide long on. At 22 years and 78 days, he became the second-youngest batter to score an Ashes century in the twenty-first century, trailing only former England captain Alastair Cook, who accomplished the feat at 21 in 2006.

He became the first England No. 3 in 14 years, since Jonathan Trott, to achieve an Ashes century. Since 2001, only former captain Michael Vaughan and Mark Butcher have earned centuries batting at No. 3 in the series.

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Bethell has appeared in five Tests, accumulating 312 runs with an average of 34.66 in 10 innings. He has also scored 1,172 runs in first-class cricket.

England also suffered a huge setback in the first session of Day 4, when captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes left the field early with a right adductor discomfort.

Stokes bowled only ten deliveries at the start of Wednesday’s match before pulling up in his follow-through, holding his right groin. He left the field in the 28th over of Australia’s second innings, and the England team later confirmed he had an adductor complaint.

Although he came on to bat in the second innings, scoring only a run off five deliveries before being removed, it is unclear whether he will bowl again in the contest when the hosts chase the final mark.