New Delhi: England opening batsman Haseeb Hameed, whose India tour was cut short due to a finger injury, has expressed his gratitude towards India captain Virat Kohli.
Hameed, who made his debut against India in the first Test at Rajkot has impressed one and all with his application and ability to adapt in the subcontinent conditions.
Incidentally, India captain Virat Kohli had spend considerable amount of time with the 19 year-old Hammed after the third Test at Mohali.
Hameed thanked Kohli for spending time with him and termed Kohli as an ‘honest’ and ‘sincere’ person.
Kohli had also heaped praise on the talented opening batsman for his gutsy knock of 59* even after suffering a nasty finger injury, earlier in first innings.
"He showed great character for a 19 year old at this level. He put his hand up when his team wanted him to do it. He played a little bit with Jimmy Anderson in the end. He showed great maturity to play with tail like that. He knew exactly what he wanted to do and you can sense it as a captain, this guy is intelligent and knows the game,” said Kohli.
Kohli was one of the first ones to congratulate Hameed after his fighting innings that enabled England to post a target 103 for India.
"He is a great prospect for England and definitely going to be a future star in all forms if persists with his skill. Really impressed and that's why I patted him on the back, innings full of character and something to applaud," Kohli said.
India went on win the match by 8 wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series but Hameed’s effort was lauded by everyone.
Unfortunately, the 19 year old will not take any further part in the series as he has gone back to England to undergo surgery on his finger.