Former Australia captain Allan Border has said that he feels sorry for England opener Haseeb Hameed and claims he had absolutely no chance of making runs against the Aussie bowling attack in the ongoing Ashes Test series. Haseeb has only scored 65 runs in 6 innings and has been under a lot of scanners. The 24-year-old failed to create an impact as he has batted with an over-cautious approach against Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and other Australian pacers.
Border said that he ‘rarely’ feel sorry for any player but he can only sympathize with Hameed with the crowd baying for blood and Aussie pacers bowling hand grenades.
“Rarely, but for one individual, I think Hameed the young opener, I mean he had absolutely no chance of making runs. You have to play and miss 15, 20 times to make a score on that surface, so I do feel sorry for him under that situation. The crowd baying for blood, the fast bowlers they were bowling hand grenades, every ball was doing something and you expected a wicket just about every ball and he’s fought like anything to get through there and hasn’t quite made it,” Border told Fox Cricket.
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Border said that Hameed might be thinking that Test cricket is the hardest format and the atmosphere at Melbourne Cricket Ground made it even tougher for the opposition.
“I feel sorry, generally not for England, but for that one young opener, he must think Test cricket’s the hardest game in the world. The atmosphere at the ground was just electric and the last hour of cricket was extraordinary,” he added.
Meanwhile, a dazed England lost four wickets in a hostile late spell to leave them at 31-4 — still trailing Australia by 51 runs — and fighting to save their Ashes hopes after day two of a gripping third Test.
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It came after the visitors — who must win in Melbourne — were rocked by four positive Covid cases in their camp, although no players were among them.
Australia had been all out for 267, earning an 82-run lead on England’s first-innings 185 on an MCG pitch that was still offering plenty for the bowlers.
After heavy defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide, England must win to keep the five-Test series alive, with Australia only needing a draw to retain the urn as holders.
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