Hameed's maiden half-ton propels England to 163-run lead

Openers Haseeb Hameed and Alastair Cook scored 62* and 46* respectively to lead England to 114-0 at the end of play on Day Four.

At just 19 years old, debutant Hameed looked every inch the Test opener from the get-go. He took the attack to India’s much-admired spinners, hitting an early contender for shot of the series when he hammered Ravi Jadeja straight back over his head for a flat six.

The Lancashire opener played beautifully for his maiden Test half-century, which came from 94 balls, getting into a good rhythm and punishing anything loose. Using his feet well, he played with an authority that belied his teenage years, driving masterfully through the covers a number of times on his way to 62. He becomes the third-youngest Englishman to make 50 on his Test debut.

At the other end, Cook quietly made his way to an unbeaten 46, the skipper happy to play second fiddle to the fluent scoring of his younger partner. The pair will resume with the score at 114-0 in the first Test’s final day on Sunday. 

India had begun the day 218 runs behind England’s mammoth first innings 537. Ajinkya Rahane and captain Virat Kohli looked comfortable facing England’s seamers, so Cook rang the changes, bringing spin into the attack after just six overs.

The change worked immediately. Zafar Ansari struck in his first full over of the day, bowling Rahane off the top of his pad for 13, the batsman paying the price for misjudging the length of the delivery.

It was the early breakthrough England needed if they were going to have the chance of a positive result in this match, and just 15 balls later, they got the big wicket of India’s skipper. Kohli rocked back deep into his crease to get a drive away off Adil Rashid, but stepped too far and trod on his leg stump. Only Jonny Bairstow noticed the India captain’s error and went up in appeal, the hit wicket verdict confirmed by the third umpire. Kohli departed for 40 and the first hour belonged to England.

Wriddhiman Saha and Ravi Ashwin set about repairing the morning’s damage, building a patient seventh-wicket partnership that reached 64 before Saha departed for 35. The wicketkeeper attempted to play a cut shot to Moeen Ali but could only edge behind into Bairstow’s grateful gloves.

Despite scoring big runs in first-class cricket at this ground, local lad Jadeja soon became Rashid’s third victim of the innings, departing for 12. The legspinner found some extra bounce in the pitch, getting one to kick up ferociously which Jadeja could only prod to Hameed at short leg.

Rashid continued his superb spell and after beating Umesh Yadav’s bat three times, the paceman top-edged his next delivery. Ben Stokes raced in from cover point to take an excellent diving catch and dismiss Yadav for a 12-ball 5. As Nasser Hussain commented, it was surely Rashid’s finest performance in an England cricket shirt.

A flurry of late runs followed before Ali finally put paid to Ashwin’s counter-attacking innings. The all-rounder hit 70 before being caught by Ansari at deep-midwicket. India were 488 all out, leaving England with a first-innings lead of 49. Cue Hameed and Cook.

Thanks to the opening pair’s antics with the bat, the overnight lead stands at 163 and puts England into a commanding position on a pitch that will only deteriorate throughout Day Five. Game on.