‘Homestate’ debut for England’s Hameed

Hameed likes to bat on and on and on. Earlier this year, Hameed spent six and a half hours saving Lancashire at Trent Bridge in July. Watching his innings, England selector Mick Newell reportedly remarked: ‘If Test cricket survives and thrives, then here’s a boy who was born to open the batting. I just hope the game lasts long enough for him to play it.’ Speaking on Tuesday, Hameed — whose father, Ismail, comes from the nearby village of Umraj — exuded a down-to-earth satisfaction that should stand him in good stead. ‘It’s a great feeling,’ he said. 

‘A lot of things are meant to be. And the fact that it’s here against India, in my parents’ home state — the way it’s fallen into place is amazing.’ On Wednesday, he made 31 in his first knock and only blemish he made was probably he asked his captain not to go for a review when Cook was adjudged leg before off Jadeja to a ball that was seen going down the leg in replays. Hameed was so excited about his debut that he even skipped his brother’s wedding, a few hours away by car, over the weekend. ‘Having spoken to my family, I thought it was better to stay here with the team and get used to conditions,’ he said. On Wednesday, Ben Duckett moved down to No 4 to accommodate the debutant.