Haseeb Hameed
Haseeb Hameed starred on his England debut in Rajkot Getty

England's teenage opening batsman Haseeb Hameed has a Kumar Sangakkara-like approach to his cricket, according to coach Trevor Bayliss. Hammed scored more than 100 runs in his debut game for the Three Lions against India in Rajkot, prompting the coach to heap praise on the talented 19-year-old Lancastrian.

Bayliss is reluctant to get too carried away by Hameed's initial success, but he admitted there is an obvious parallel between the right-handed Englishman and the former Sri Lanka batsman, who scored more than 12,000 runs during his 134-match Test career. Bayliss coached Sri Lanka between 2007 and 2011, meaning he has worked extensively with Sangakkara.

More sports news

"It's early days for Hameed. But the early signs are that he's a very, very good player," Bayliss said, according to Cricinfo. "For one so young, 19, his composure is very good. He knows how his game works – something that players years in advance of him would like to have – and without wanting to put too much pressure on him, the signs are good.

"He's one of those batters, a little bit like a Sangakkara, who just loves batting. Whether it's in the nets, having throwdowns or with a tennis ball in the changing room, he just loves to have a bat in his hand. It was obviously a very good start. He's been with the squad for about six weeks, but it feels like he's been here for two or three years – he's got that type of a personality."

Meanwhile, Bayliss also hinted that James Anderson, Hameed's Lancashire teammate, may be in line to return for the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam. The record-breaking fast bowler has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since August.

"We'll assess him in the next couple of days," Bayliss said. "But from all reports, he's been bowling well in the nets. The medical staff say he's in better shape than he was when he came back and played against Pakistan. We'll put him through his paces again. He's a guy who's always looked after himself, so he's nicely fit."

England cricket