India, Dec. 29 -- Jacob Bethell walked out at the MCG for his first taste of the Ashes pressure, and he didn't pretend it was just another day at the office. Instead, the 22-year-old credited an unlikely rehearsal: a short, noisy IPL cameo with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru that, he says, made big crowds feel familiar.

England's four-wicket win in the Boxing Day Test ended a long wait for a Test victory in Australia, and Bethell's 40 in the chase of 175 was the kind of hold-your-nerve innings that doesn't show up properly in a highlights package. When he spoke afterwards, though, the story was less about technique and stroke making, and more about surviving the noise in your head.

Jacob Bethell said the Chinnaswamy experience helped h...