Trevor Bayliss warned fans not to expect too much too soon of Haseeb Hameed despite seeing similarities with modern-day legend Kumar Sangakkara.
The cricket world stood up and took notice as Hameed struck a beautiful 82 in the second innings in Rajkot.
It was the highest score in a Test by an England teenager and a performance which brings a certain level of expectation.
Andrew Flintoff, Sanjay Manjrekar and Adam Gilchrist were gushing in their praise with the latter tweeting “@ECB_cricket have found an absolute beauty”.
Bayliss joined the throng of excited onlookers as Hameed scored 113 in the match but advised caution.
“The early signs are he’s a very good player,” said Bayliss.
“For one so young, 19, his composure is very good and his know-how of how his game works is something that players years in advance of him would like to have.
“He’s been with the squad for six weeks but it feels like he’s been here for two or three years, he’s got that type of personality.
“He’s one of those batters, a little bit like a Sangakkarra, who just loves batting. Whether it’s in the nets or having throw-downs or with a tennis ball in the changing room, he just loves to have a bat in his hands. That’s a very good sign.”
England dominated in Rajkot, scoring 527 in the first innings before setting India 310 in a minimum of 49 overs on the final day.
Two wickets after tea gave England hope and a further double strike left India six down with ten overs remaining. Virat Kohli and Ravi Jadeja, however, salvaged the draw to ensure the series remains level ahead of the second Test in Vizag on Friday.
“I was very pleased, more so from the point of view of the effort we put in over the five days,” said Bayliss.
“Effort-wise it was the best performance we’ve had since I’ve been with the team. If we put in more performances like that we will play good consistent cricket and that’s what we are after and we will have a chance of winning more games.
“The way the guys played in this Test should give us plenty of confidence. Our batters played well against their spinners and our spinners and pace bowlers did well against their batters.
“We are under no illusions, these next four Tests will be even tougher than this one. We’ve got to continue putting in that effort and if we do we will have a chance of winning.”
Bayliss added that a decision will be made on James Anderson’s involvement in the coming days.
“He’s been bowling well in the nets here and medical staff say he’s in better shape than before when he played against Pakistan,” said Bayliss.
“We will put him through his paces again, he’s a guy that’s always looked after himself so he’s nice and fit.
“It’s been a tough five days so we will have to assess everyone and see how they’ve come through and make the decision over the next couple of days.”