#360view: Hameed give glimpse of immense potential

Ajit Vijaykumar 23:04 12/11/2016
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    Haseeb Hameed had played just 20 first-class matches before he was drafted into the national team. That is 20 competitive matches in all; not a single T20 or List A match, just 20 first-class outings.

    For the England management to be enamoured by a 19-year-old who hasn’t even played two full seasons in the domestic circuit could mean two things – either the management is desperate for a batsman or Hameed is a special talent.

    After watching the young Lancastrian bat in the first Test against India in Rajkot, many viewers are understanding why England pushed a teenager into the cauldron of a five-match Test series in India. It’s because Hameed looks like he has what it takes to make it big on the international stage.

    Hameed made 31 in the first innings and was unbeaten on 62 overnight as the visitors gained a substantial lead in Rajkot. Hameed hasn’t played any extravagant shots or taken the attack to the opposition and it is this composure that is astonishing.

    India are the No1 Test side in the world and also have the top-ranked bowler – Ravi Ashwin – in their attack. The wickets in India are generally tailor-made to aid finger spinners and the challenge is huge even for the best of batsmen.

    Many world-class batsmen have come to India and gone back with their confidence shattered, Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson being the latest as he managed just 135 runs in four innings in the recently concluded series which his team lost 3-0.

    The first-class career of Haseeb Hamed so far

    • Matches: 20, Innings: 33
    • Runs: 1,455, Highest Score: 122
    • Average: 48.50
    • 100: 4, 50: 9

    Simply put, India can be a nightmare for visiting batsmen.

    For Hameed, the task was even tougher as there is no way he would have had considerable practice against menacing spinners on dusty tracks. What he has is temperament and confidence in his abilities and that, more than anything, is what made captain Alastair Cook state that he is here to stay. It is also what forced Stuart
    Broad to call up Cook almost immediately and talk about Hameed after the England pacer had a bowl at him last season.

    Hameed biggest asset is that he has time to play his shots. When a batsman is not hurried into his strokes, it shows he has many aspects of batting under control.

    Only those whose back lift, trigger movement and head alignment are synchronised can play shots without extravagance. The last England batsman to show such composure at a young age was Joe Root and before that, arguably, Cook.

    That Hameed is an opener makes the simplicity of his batting a priceless commodity. He is the tenth opener England are trying out since Andrew Strauss called it a day. I feel England have found a player who is the real deal, a batsman who can dictate the pace of the game.

    However, one must remember Hameed has only passed the Rajkot Test. Pitches in the following four matches won’t be near as flat as the one in the opening game. India will surely dish out tracks that will see spin from the first two days and that’s where Hameed’s technique will be really tested. And what’s more, India will target the youngster knowing that he can’t be brushed aside as just another touring player.

    I am certain Indian spinners will work overtime to formulate plans for Hameed and the rest of the England batsmen. But looking at Hameed, I feel he will put up a good fight irrespective of the number of runs he scores and maybe even give the spinners a tough time.

    And that will be the biggest positive for England as they look to the future.

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