England's new No. 3 batsman Jordan Cox has shared how a message from Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli helped him cope with the disappointment of a significant injury two years ago. Cox, 25, feared his chance at the international level might have passed after suffering a broken thumb just before a Test match against New Zealand in Christchurch in November 2024.
"It felt like that was the end, as bad as that sounds," Cox told the BBC. He recalled speaking with Kohli, who told him, "There are billions of people who don’t even know who I am. The sun will come up in the morning."
Cox, who has been part of Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru team in the Indian Premier League, also received advice from the former India captain before his Test debut against New Zealand at The Oval in June, where he scored 27 and 25 batting at No. 7.
"He was just saying: ‘Enjoy the moment. You only get one debut. Just enjoy it and have fun,’" Cox said. "He’s someone I’ve looked up to and I’ve managed to spend what felt like four months in India. He’s someone I’ll text if I’m ever feeling down or need a bit of help. He’s always at the end of the phone."
Cox is set to bat at No. 3 for the upcoming first two Tests against Pakistan, a position he has never occupied before. This opportunity arose due to an injury to Jacob Bethell, who had debuted at No. 3 in Christchurch when Cox was sidelined. "That’s professional sport, isn’t it?" Cox commented. "I missed out on my debut two years ago and Jacob’s done incredibly well. He now gets injured and hopefully I do incredibly well."
His call-up for the Pakistan series was confirmed by new national selector Marcus North during The Hundred competition. North informed Cox, "I’m going to give you clarity: you’re going to bat three for the two Test matches. Basically, go out there, have fun, do what you’ve been doing, don’t change the way you’ve been playing in county cricket."
Cox, who has averaged 68 in first-class cricket for Essex since moving from Kent after the 2023 season, does have experience facing the new ball, having opened 30 times for his previous county. However, he is not overly concerned about the specific batting order.
"If England ask you to bat one to 11, I would say ‘yes’," Cox stated. "Seven was great fun, the ball was a bit older, and I got to bat with Joe Root, which was pretty cool. If England call you and go ‘You’re batting anywhere,’ you go: ‘Absolutely, I’ll do my best to go and win a Test match.’"