England’s batsman Keaton Jennings raises his bat and helmet after scoring century on the first day of the fourth cricket test match between India and England in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016. Opener KL Rahul is fit which means that he will slot back in with Patel moving to the middle order in place of Karun Nair while there are concerns over Mohammed Shami’s workload, which might see the pacer being replaced by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Advertisement
He put on 99 with Cook and 94 with Moeen Ali (50) as England made the most of winning the toss on a spinners’ pitch in a match they must win to retain any hope of drawing the five-match series.
Ashwin provided India with the day’s first breakthrough early, edging Ashwin to Kohli to slip. But I got up at five in the morning and jumped out of the bed thinking I had missed the bus.
“This is my best day of sporting life”.
Jennings, born in Johannesburg, showed no nerves as he became the 19th batsman from England to make a century on debut against India. But thankfully, it went to the ground.
“I’ve suddenly moved away from supporting a South African side to supporting an English side, and I’m very proud to actually say that. But when the ball kind of looped up to gully, my heart was in my mouth and I just kind of thought “Oh no, you’ve got nought in your first innings”.
He went on to complete his hundred with a reverse-swept four off Jayant Yadav as England reached tea on 196 for two, seeking to battle back from 2-0 down with two to play. If someone said to me that I will get a Test match hundred after that, I would have put them off.
Indian spinners continued to torment England, as Ravichandran Ashwin (six for 112) and Ravindra Jadeja (four for 109) made full use of the spin and bounce on offer at the Wankhede.
Then came a split-second of uncertainty, though, as he wondered whether it could all quite be true.
“The emotion that went over me at that moment in time, the elation, the pride, the satisfaction to go to a test 100 was really incredible, really special”, he said. I suppose you really don’t know how to play at it or get underneath at the start.
A new comer in the form of Keaton Jennings has been roped in as Hameed’s replacement after he was injured i the last Test yet scored a defying half century to stake a claim for his side.
Advertisement
England’s permutation problems presented themselves earlier and they are suitably prepared. England skipper Alastair Cook contributed 46.
