Jennings became yet another South Africa-born cricketer to score a hundred in his maiden Test for England including Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott among the most recent ones.
"Yet another one slips through our system. Well played Keaton Jennings." South African great Jacques Kallis tweeted after England opener Keaton Jennings scored a century on Test debut for England against India on Day One of the fourth Test at the Wankhede on Thursday.
Jennings became yet another South Africa-born cricketer to score a hundred in his maiden Test for England including Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott among the most recent ones.
The southpaw, 24, comes across as a happy-go-lucky guy with a positive attitude. Otherwise, a sensible batsman would not dare to attempt a reverse sweep on 96 to reach his century. He successfully did that same against off-spinner Jayant Yadav to reach the three-figure mark in style.
For Jennings, it was a dream stuff. "Yeah, definitely. If someone had said to me when I woke up this morning that I'll be scoring a Test hundred, I would've bit my arm off. I woke up at 5am thinking I'd missed the bus and started panicking and assembling my things before I settled myself down when I saw the time. But yeah, it's been a dream-come-true and a bit surreal," he said at the end of Day One's play.
It wasn't a chanceless knock, though. He survived a few close calls, the closest being when he was on zero. He edged a Umesh Yadav bouncer but Karun Nair at gully failed to grab it.
"It was a bit of a tennis ball stuff with the new ball, where you don't know whether you should get on top of it or underneath it at the start. I saw the ball going to gully's hands, and thankfully it just went out. So you need a little bit of luck but that's how it goes. But I'm really thankful that my day ended the way it did."
The hallmark of his knock was the reverse sweep to Yadav. It wasn't the only time he played that, but successfully did a few times before during the innings.
"It's been a shot that, over the last six-eight months, I've played successfully. I looked at the scoreboard and thought 'well, what if I get out caught at first slip or caught defending trying to get the hundred'. So, I bit the bullet and went for it, and thankfully it hit the middle of the bat and went for four."
He hasn't heard from his father-cum-coach Ray, who is currently holidaying in Mauritius. "No, not yet. We had to hand over our phones in the morning. Hopefully, my phone will be sitting on my place when I get back and I can get in touch with him tonight and hopefully share some special memories together," he said.
DID YOU KNOW
Keaton Jennings was only the fourth player to score a century for England on his first day of Test cricket. The other three were WG Grace (152 vs Aus, The Oval, 1880), George Gunn (119 vs Aus, Sydney, 1907) and B Griffith (110* vs WI, Port of Spain, 1948)
N Zone
19
Keaton Jennings became the 19th England batsman to make a century on Test debut for England
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Keaton Jennings")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}