Could this guy return for England next summer ??
England were very unlucky with James Taylors unfortunate retirement with several replacement tried and failing to come up to scratch.
At least Haseem Hameed looks to have the makings of a decent opener.

Ian Bell: Warwickshire captain refreshed and still eyeing England future

Ian Bell has not batted for England since making a sixth-ball duck in the second innings against Pakistan in Sharjah in November 2015
Warwickshire captain Ian Bell says his hunger to return to England's Test team has been refuelled in the 12 months since he last represented his country.
Bell, 34, was jettisoned following the 2-0 series loss to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, two months after being part of an Ashes-winning side.
"I did question whether I wanted to carry on doing it," he told BBC Sport.
"At the end of the Ashes, there's no doubt I got in a place where, mentally and physically, I was shattered."
Ahead of December's trip to Australia to play for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash, Bell says he has not given up hope of playing for his country again.
Bell said it was now clear that perhaps all he needed was a break from Test cricket.
"Coming out of that and being a bit fresher now, I know I do want to carry on," he added. "Sometimes you need to take a step back to understand what you love about it.
"I've had a nice break from the bubble of international cricket. Having come out of that bubble, I've realised how much I want to get back in."

No real shock here.The only surprise is that England have risen from 3rd to 2nd in the world rankings after Pakistans 2-0 series defeat by New Zealand.
However,if England lose the last two Tests they could drop to as low as 5th......even below Australia !

India v England: Haseeb Hameed & Joe Root cannot prevent Mohali defeat

Third Test, Mohali (day four):
England 283 & 236: Root 78, Hameed 59*, Ashwin 3-81
India 417 & 104-2: Patel 67*
India won by eight wickets

India completed an eight-wicket victory over England on the fourth day of the third Test in Mohali to go 2-0 up with two matches of the series to play.
From 78-4 overnight, England at least mustered 236 to set the home side a target of 103.
Joe Root hit 78 and Haseeb Hameed, batting with a hand injury, made 59 not out but will now leave the tour.
Parthiv Patel cracked an unbeaten 67 from 54 balls as India extended their undefeated run to 16 Tests.
The injury to Hameed will force one change to the side, but the poor form of Gary Ballance and Ben Duckett leaves the tourists with few options unless they make further call-ups.
Haseeb Hameed is the first England batsman to score two Test half-centuries before the age of 20
Hameed is set leave the tour to have a plate inserted in the little finger of his left hand after being struck in the first innings.
Though he was unable to grip the bat with that finger, the 19-year-old once again impressed with the composure and stout defence that have characterised his first three Test matches.
Perhaps because of his injury, Hameed, who gave a sharp chance to wicketkeeper Parthiv on five, was initially even more shotless than usual - his first sign of aggression did not come until he played a slog-sweep to the 111th ball he faced.
However, when he was joined by last man Anderson, Hameed displayed his range of strokes, particularly through the leg side.
He brought up his second Test half-century with a six off Ravichandran Ashwin and the last 27 deliveries he faced brought 36 runs before he was left stranded by Anderson's run out to end a 156-ball stay.

Glad I went out for a beer @ 1 pm.
4 zip looks like the tour statistic...

England are expected to call up Durham opener Keaton Jennings for the remainder of the tour of India as replacement for Haseeb Hameed.

Jennings, 24, was the leading scorer in the County Championship in 2016 with 1,548 runs at an average of 64.5.

Poor sod!!!

He is a Safer though..

Well England have returned serve to the critics of Australia picking a well travelled young Englishman to debut. Alongside a young Pom, the poms have picked another import from SA. At least they have both been captains of their country of birth.


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4 th. Test just started in Mumbai (Bombay to those like me that don't know better )
England (2 nil down) have started well - in winning the toss & electing to bat.
Now down to the more difficult task of scoring some runs.
Keaton Jennings is opening as a replacement for gone home injured, Haseeb Hameed.
Stuart Broad is still out injured as well, so Chris Woakes is in.
Gareth Batty is also dropped after failing to impress with the ball & the spinner is replaced by quickie Jake Ball.

Early days but it looks yet another good batting pitch.
Surprisingly Cook actually has a batting partner who he is outscoring.. Jennings unable to score yet having already given a catching chance, Cook not out on 9.
EDIT..
Immediately I write that Jennings takes two balls for 4.. Hope that continues until lunch!!

Lunch - Eng 117-1

A good start that needs to be continued until tea!!
Cook was the man out, just as a ton opening partnership approached.

Cook st Patel b Jadeja 46 (Eng 99-1)

He tried to do something that he has never been any good at - dance down the wicket to a spinner.
New boy Jennings has tested his luck a little, but, at other times has looked very good indeed. He is not out for 65 - not a bad performance at all in his first Test - along with Root on 5.
Root has not looked his assured self as yet, but is often vulnerable until he gets a few runs on the board..

Oh the pain

It just doesn't get any easier

Now we've got too many bloomin openers

Reckon we could sell Cookie to the Aussies in the Jan Transfer window Bob

288-for 5

Jennings out for 112 & England were looking good, until Moeen threw his wicket away once he hit 50.
Stokes & Buttler hung on in there at the end, but this is a 500+ first innings wicket & England will be out for 350 if they are lucky.
There are 'senior' players on this tour who have consistently thrown away their wicket when if the had not England would have been, at least, competitive.
OK, playing India in India is not easy - but all the more why you have to learn from your mistakes.
Just about no one in the England side has - disappointing...

Dont blame the English or any other touring side, its that sub-continent thing.

I wouldn't disagree with that in principle Sport, history says that India is a difficult place to tour.
However when a 'first timer' can score a hundred you have to question the application of the more senior players. Cook & Moeen, especially, needlessly gave their wickets away. Their loss was not due to a difficult batting pitch or wicked bowling, it was down to incompetence by the batsman..

Certainly the likes of Cook,Root and Moeen have been disappointing in this tour and put to shame by youngsters like Jennings and Hameed.
But now we have 3 decent openers (2 more than we have had for the past 5 years),I'm confident we will have a decent side for the Ashes Tour starting next November.

1.Jennings
2.Cook
3.Hameed
4.Root
5.Bairstow
6.Stokes
7.Buttler
8.Moeen
9.Woakes
10.Broad
11.Anderson

Reserves : Bell,Gubbins,Rashid,Finn,Wood

The likes of Stokes,Buttler,Woakes and Rashid have to cobble together a further 150 runs between them today to make Englands score competitive.

From Bob Helm today. "Their loss was not due to a difficult batting pitch or wicked bowling, it was down to incompetence by the batsman".

And Bob could I mention Donald Bradman, went out for 0 in his last match. We know Cook and Moeen are danger men and can do better than that, just one of their bad days at the crease.

Ha, ha - yes Sport I hear what you say, , but with a batting average of 99.94 it didn't happen to the Don all that often...

Zidane wrote: But now we have 3 decent openers (2 more than we have had for the past 5 years),I'm confident we will have a decent side for the Ashes Tour starting next November.

1.Jennings
2.Cook
3.Hameed
4.Root
5.Bairstow
6.Stokes
7.Buttler
8.Moeen
9.Woakes
10.Broad
11.Anderson

Reserves : Bell,Gubbins,Rashid,Finn,Wood

The likes of Stokes,Buttler,Woakes and Rashid have to cobble together a further 150 runs between them today to make Englands score competitive.

You are joking Zid with this mob. Its nearly a year away and they will be on the old age pension by that stage lol.

Ah next years Ashes. An early tip or two. If Pat Cummings doesn't break down again between now and next November he will take more wickets than Mitch Johnson did 4 years ago - 40 plus. Australia will play 4 quicks Stark, Cummings, Patterson and Hazlewood all summer. Australia as usual at home we will win 5 - zip.

It was a poor morning with the bat for England as Stokes, Woakes & Rashid all went cheaply.
It looked doubtful if England would manage to struggle to 350.
However, Ball (31) joined Buttler (76) to make a spirited fightback at the end.
England all out for what sounds like a respectable 400.

Unfortunately India went on to demonstrate just what a good batting track it was.
They lost Rahul early on when the score was 39, but it has been all bat since.
They start tomorrow on 146 for 1 wicket - long day in the field in prospect for England...

Pujara b Ball 47,off the 2nd ball of the day.......India 146-2

The second ball of the morning was as good as it got for England though..

Lunch - Ind 247-2

Trail by 153 runs

Vijay not out 124, Kohli not out 44

Sport wrote:

Zidane wrote: But now we have 3 decent openers (2 more than we have had for the past 5 years),I'm confident we will have a decent side for the Ashes Tour starting next November.

1.Jennings
2.Cook
3.Hameed
4.Root
5.Bairstow
6.Stokes
7.Buttler
8.Moeen
9.Woakes
10.Broad
11.Anderson

Reserves : Bell,Gubbins,Rashid,Finn,Wood

The likes of Stokes,Buttler,Woakes and Rashid have to cobble together a further 150 runs between them today to make Englands score competitive.

You are joking Zid with this mob. Its nearly a year away and they will be on the old age pension by that stage lol.

And so will the Aussies lining up for the pension. Eleven months will just be a blink for us older type people. Come on England, throw a few dodgy fast ones down at them.