Jennings to be Cook’s latest opening partner for England

Speaking about his younger days, when he came to Mumbai to train under Indian coach Vidyadhar Paradkar, Hameed said that the experience in the subcontinent helped him get used to the atmosphere.

Kohli’s frustrations were amplified as runs came thick and fast.

“I must say, I reworked that dismissal in my head, because he has got out a lot of times in the slips”. Only at Ferozshah Kotla, Delhi, he has taken more wickets in Tests – 23 at 14.

“He’s probably the most sought-after man in world cricket at the minute”.

“Ideally, that [Rahul and Vijay] is the settled opening pair that you would want, but I think in the circumstances we have done really well”. He was very obliging.

“When the ball looped up to gully my heart was in my mouth and thought “No you got a nought in your first innings”, but thankfully it went to ground and I went from there”, he said. “I finished and came over to England straight away in April 2011 and then from there tried to play my way into English cricket”.

The 24-year-old had just finished a campaign in England as South Africa Under-19 captain when fate dealt him the dilemma of whether to continue to try to push for worldwide recognition with his native country or switch allegiance.

They beat India by 212 runs in the 2004-05 series and by 10 wickets in the 2012-13 series. “There is something happening with the openers in terms of injuries, I hope that doesn’t go on. I was very grateful for that”.

While Jennings was calmly navigating himself into the history books as well as the England team, his predecessor, Haseeb Hameed, looked on from the stands.

The left hander showed no signs of nerves while playing his first Test innings on a true pitch that offered consistent pace, bounce and not enough spin, making it easier for the batsmen to hit through the line. “They are not guys who have batted in different positions and they have opened for their states and country as well, they will be our specialist openers”. “I haven’t had any discussion with him any other way and that’s what we’ve been working towards”, the Australian coach added.

“The day before my brother said ‘when will you recover from the break?’ and I said before the next Test”. It did hit me.

“But then the ground went a little bit boring, so I thought I’d kind of mucked up (my numbers) a little and got it wrong”.

“That has made me more comfortable batting and positive in trying to pick balls to try to score off. Now it’s just a case of getting myself ready for the English season”.

But he has made a good start.

England handed a debut to 24-year-old Keatson Jennings and replaced Gareth Batty with seamer Jake Ball.

Ravichandran Ashwin took 3 wickets for 9 runs after tea to reduce England to 288-5 on day one of the fourth test in Mumbai.

“That was partly the reason why I had a couple of nets beforehand: to make sure I was ready”.

Kohli was trying had to get a breakthrough. “And as I was ageing, I had to do more”, he recalled. “It went all right”.

The team management has also released pacer Ishant Sharma from the Test squad.

“I’m very close to my family”, he said.