ENGLAND’S new man Keaton Jennings has admitted scoring a debut century on the first day of the fourth Test against India surpassed even his wildest dreams.
The 24-year-old only flew into Mumbai 72 hours before the start of this match after being summoned from the England Lions tour of the UAE as an injury replacement for Haseeb Hameed.
But the Durham opener made light of morning nerves that led him to believe he had mistakenly missed the team bus to become the first England player since Jonathan Trott in 2009 to reach three figures on debut, and only the 19th overall.
England failed to take full advantage of Jennings’ innings or winning the toss as they were restricted to 288 for five on day one at the Wankhede Stadium.
Jennings, though, still enjoyed a memorable start to his England career.
He said: “I woke up at 5am, thinking I’d missed the bus, so jumped out of bed, panicked where everything was and then settled myself down when I saw the time. It’s been a dream come true; it’s just surreal that it’s come on debut. It’s been an incredible day, an incredible 72 hours.”
Jennings was dropped on nought at gully off Umesh Yadav and also escaped a tight Indian lbw review on 10 thanks to an umpire’s call on impact.
> “When the ball looped up to gully, my heart was in my mouth and I just kind of thought ‘Oh no, you’ve got nought in your first innings'.
“Thankfully, it hit his hand and went out. So I had a little bit of luck, but I suppose that’s the way the game goes sometimes.”
Hameed was in the stands to watch his replacement score a century.
But when the teenager returns from the broken finger that ruled him out of the rest of this series, England will have a selection poser.
Johannesburg-born Jennings could move down to three next summer if England decided to shift Joe Root back to the No4 position he vacated midway through last summer.
“Thankfully, it’s not my problem,” said Jennings.
“I hope I can keep going the way I’ve gone today and, I suppose, make a good problem.
“But it’s out of my hands. Has has played beautifully – he was a real pleasure to watch – it’s no surprise he’s done as well as he has.
England have never really replaced Trott, who made the number three position his own between 2009 and 2013.
He left the Ashes tour, citing stress related illness but returned to open in the West Indies last year, retiring from international cricket at the end of that series.
But Jennings, after emulating his fellow South African-born batsman’s debut hundred, believes he could do a job there.
“I think I started my Durham career at three,” he said.
“It’s probably not a role I’ve played a whole heap, but you’re not going to pass up an opportunity regardless of whether it’s opening the batting, batting at 10, or wherever.”