Mumbai: Debutant Ketaon Jennings impressed everyone with his temperament and technique in Mumbai. The batsman, who struck 112 on the first day of the fourth Test against India, was inducted in the team as a replacement for the injured Haseeb Hameed.
Keaton’s father, the former South Africa wicketkeeper and Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Ray Jennings has revealed that Keaton learnt the art of playing spin from Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli.
"I've worked with and watched Virat Kohli over the years. He is the best player of spin in the world. And when you have to play spin in India there is a lot to learn from the way he plays, so we fed off that knowledge.
"Keaton has been to India twice earlier during the IPL with me, so he's experienced India earlier. Over the years, I have learnt a lot about Indian grounds, players and conditions and know them pretty well. So I shared my Indian experiences with him. I told him what I knew, but it was up to him to execute it. I told him to enjoy the opportunity, pressures and privileges,” Ray told the Times of India.
Jennings senior also revealed the reason behind him not visiting Mumbai to witness his son’s first innings in Test cricket.
"I'm proud that Keaton has done so well on debut. Considering he has debuted and done well in a country where I've spent a lot of time is special.
"I would have loved to watch him live in action. But given my connection with India, there would have been a lot of focus, so I thought it was important for me to leave him by himself and allow him to enjoy the opportunity that he had gained rather than worry about the people around him," he said.
