How to play in India, daddy? asks England rookie Jennings
I won’t try to change anything. I will play positively if the ball is in my area. Pressure is a privilege as my dad always says ON HIS APPROACH The decision to move to the UK was a slow one. I just started feeling comfortable with time. I feel very English as well despite accent ON MOVING TO ENGLAND
The first thing Keaton Jennings did after he was selected as replacement for injured Haseeb Hameed for England’s remaining two Tests against India was to call up his father Ray Jennings, the former coach of South Africa national team. Keaton wanted advice from Ray, also his coach, as he is in line to make his England debut at the Wankhede Stadium. What Jennings senior, who has a good experience of Indian conditions as a former Royal Challengers Bangalore coach, said was unexpected. “He just told me to drink a lot of water and make sure that it is from closed bottles. That’s it. He told me to enjoy the process and the culture. I came to India in 2009 for the IPL with my dad as a tourist. It was a very fas- cinating experience for me,” said Jennings .
SWITCHING SIDES
Jennings, who led South Africa U-19 while he was in school, took the decision to represent England thereafter. He completed his four-year qualification mark this March to be eligible for the national side.
Keaton says his experience has been very pleasant despite his Proteas accent. “The decision to move to the UK was a slow one. I just started feeling very welcoming and comfortable with time. I feel very English as well despite accent,” Jennings laughed. “I guess the more time you spent, the more local you become. I am blessed that they (England) have been very welcoming. Last 12 hours have been almost unreal. It was satisfying to know my teammates,” said Jennings, who had a terrific campaign with Durham where he scored 1548 runs.