Jordan Cox turns Virat Kohli advice into Test debut fuel as England face Pakistan at Headingley
Jordan Cox will make his long-awaited England debut at Headingley on Wednesday, batting at number three against Pakistan — and he is carrying a piece of advice from Virat Kohli into the biggest week of his career.
Cox was told he would bat at three for at least the first two Tests of the three-match series because Jacob Bethell is sidelined with a knee injury. The position — the first specialist batting slot after the openers — carries real responsibility in a side reshaped by upheaval since the summer.
Joe Root has begun his second stint as England Test captain. Ben Stokes announced his retirement from Test cricket during the third and deciding Test against New Zealand in June. England lost that series, and the fallout was swift: Brendon McCullum was sacked as Test coach. His replacement, Stephen Fleming, will not arrive until the winter, leaving Marcus Trescothick in interim charge.
For Cox, the call-up caps a journey that nearly stalled twice. He was poised to deputise for Jamie Smith — on paternity leave — during England's 2024 tour of New Zealand, only to break his thumb in the nets three days before he was due to play. The setback was crushing. He admitted to thoughts of "I'm never going to play again" in the aftermath.
Redemption arrived through an unlikely channel. Cox joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the first time in 2025 as the franchise defended its IPL title. He did not play a game, but the time was anything but wasted. He struck up a relationship with Kohli, India's former captain and one of the sport's most relentless competitors.
The advice Kohli gave him was less about technique than temperament. "There are billions of people who don't even know who I am," Cox recalled Kohli telling him. "The sun will come up in the morning — I don't really care." Cox said he will draw on those words for the Pakistan series, where the scrutiny of a home Test crowd and a restructured dressing room will test any newcomer's nerve.
England's recent record against Pakistan is grim: two wins in their last 10 Tests. Pakistan, though, have not won a Test series in England for 30 years. Both sides carry vulnerabilities into Headingley.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam and batter Shan Masood were hoping to prove their fitness after suffering hand and finger injuries respectively. England, for their part, declined to name their team two days before the match — partly because Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue were travelling from London after playing in The Hundred final on Sunday. Both could join Jofra Archer and Ollie Robinson in a four-man pace attack.
Dan Lawrence was recalled to bat at number six and offer off-spin, giving Root a second slow-bowling option alongside whichever spinner makes the XI.
What makes Cox's debut stand out is the texture behind it. A broken thumb, a stint on the IPL bench, and a conversation with one of cricket's most famous figures have all fed into the moment he finally walks out for England. The Kohli line about the sun coming up is easy to quote and harder to live by. Cox will find out how well it holds under a Headingley sky on Wednesday morning.
