“It is a very special day for him tomorrow”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

England captain Alastair Cook has confirmed that opening batsman Keaton Jennings will make his debut in the fourth Test against India in Mumbai on Thursday.

Jennings was called up to the Test team along with the uncapped Liam Dawson after fellow opener Haseeb Hameed, who made his debut at the beginning of the series, was ruled out for the remainder of the tour after he returned home to undergo surgery on his broken left hand.

Jennings will become the 11th player to open the batting with Cook since former captain Andrew Strauss retired from all forms of cricket in August 2012.

The 24-year-old will come into his first match for the national team on a high as he made his maiden List A century while representing the England Lions in a 50-over match against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai last Thursday.

“He is going to play. He is going to open the batting – another great opportunity for a guy,” Cook said. “He’s in good touch, has spent some time in the middle for the Lions – making a hundred – and it is a very special day for him tomorrow.”

When asked about the chances of pace bowler Stuart Broad playing, Cook admitted that it was “50-50”. Broad missed the third Test in Mohali due to a strained tendon in his right foot.

England are trailing 2-0 in the ongoing five-Test series heading into the penultimate Test in Mumbai.