India vs England Second Test Day 4: 5 talking points

#2 England openers show the way

Cook and Hameed hardly looked to score, negotiating any turn with stoic defence and utmost concentration

If India thought they had enough runs and enough time to bowl out England, they were in for a patience test as Haseeb Hameed and Alastair Cook displayed amazing temperament to keep the Indian spinners at bay.

The Proteas had shown in Delhi a year back that when presented with a huge total to win in the fourth innings, the best way out was to block and block and only look at the total once the opposition were tired to the core. They couldn't quite do it at Delhi, but England seem to have taken a leaf out of their admirable efforts.

Cook and Hameed hardly looked to score, negotiating any turn with stoic defence and utmost concentration. Hameed has proved to be a masterstroke selection on these sub-continental wickets as he negotiated the spinners wisely. The 75 run partnership took 50 overs but showed that England are prepared to fight it out.