The Lancashire opener will fly home for treatment on his injured finger but his rearguard action against India in Mohali further demonstrated his potentialHaseeb Hameed, England’s 19-year-old opener, has seen his tour of India ended by the broken finger sustained during the eight-wicket defeat in the third Test but will fly home with his team-mates in awe and the praise of his captain, his coach and his idol ringing in his ears following an innings of remarkable courage and skill.As the right-hander was repelling India’s bowlers for just shy of three hours from No8 with an unbeaten 59 on the fourth day of the match – one that ended with Alastair Cook’s going 2-0 down in the series with two...
After toiling for two sessions in the field and then being dismissed cheaply Alastair Cook may be wondering quite how long he wants to carry on having days like these as England captainAlastair Cook has soaked up some tough days during his record 57 Tests as England captain but Monday in Mohali – which ended with him out for 12, his opening partner unable to bat, his side four down and 56 runs adrift with hopes of a series win close to blown – was quite some challenge to his fortitude.The day had begun with an air of optimism, too. At the start of play England were still 12 runs ahead in the match and while Ravi Ashwin and Ravi...
England’s No7 makes light of lack of red-ball cricket to make an encouraging return to the Test arenaWhen discussing Jos Buttler’s lack of red-ball cricket in the lead-up to his Test return, England’s stock phrase was that it was not ideal. When it came to pass, on the first day in Mohali, the situation that greeted the No7’s arrival at the crease was much the same.A morning of self-inflicted wounds by the touring batsmen in the watery-grey sunshine of northern India in autumn meant England were 92 for four at lunch and, having thus blown a key victory at the toss, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes found themselves rebuilding the innings. Related: Ben Stokes reprimanded by ICC after altercation but...
Ben Duckett, Zafar Ansari and Gary Ballance are surely unlikely to have any further role in this Test series, so England should consider a mid-tour reshuffleThe brutal truth is that England have three dead men walking in their squad and there are still three Tests to go. This may not be unprecedented on tour but it might be unnecessary.Ben Duckett, Gary Ballance and Zafar Ansari, to use the ill-chosen yet candid assessment of Ashley Giles when talking about Steven Finn during England’s one-day campaign in Australia in January 2014, are currently “unselectable”. With Stuart Broad injured, England are picking from 13 for the Test in Mohali. Related: Jos Buttler named in England side for third Test as Ben Duckett misses out...
India’s captain is leading the way with the bat and in the field, where his energy has transformed his team into the No1-ranked Test nation and made them imperious on home soilThe challenge is familiar for England’s tourists. In Visakhapatnam the India spinners eventually suffocated their opponents, just as they have New Zealand and South Africa in the last year. The old order was restored as Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with a little help from the newcomer, Jayant Yadav, patiently undermined batsmen, some of whom have never experienced the peculiar torment of being trapped and then exposed in the final innings of an Indian Test match. They were surrounded by vulturine fieldsmen yet seldom have they felt more lonely.There...