1 655 Test cricket players have been dismissed as soon as they are thrown.Some of these are quite baffling. Sanath Jayasuriya and William Whitty both managed to get one. They were both caught, but neither were out. It is not clear how they managed to score one run, but they were both caught in the act.Some are famous. Ian Botham's 1981 second-innings win against Australia at Lord's was his final act as England captain. The story of what happened at Headingley is part of cricketing legend.Other players are just a speck of cricket's history. England's Alan Wells, who was out first against West Indies in 1995, never played Test cricket again.Haseeb Hameed's collective feeling of devastation, heartbreak and desolation is unmatched by any other.It was to be his triumphant return. The great redemption. The great redemption.Between England appearances, Hameed lasted 1,717 days. The 19-year old 'Baby Boycott,' a waif-like youth, batted like a veteran in three Tests in India in 2016.Hameed, 2016 and 2021: The Now and the FutureThen? And then? Five-year wander in the wilderness. He started with a broken hand, but he plummeted to a lackluster form that threatened his career.They believed he would return again, even though he averaged only nine wickets in first-class cricket for a whole season.To get back on track, the Bolton boy had no choice but to change his ways. The runs returned after his move from Lancashire, England to Nottinghamshire. Those in the know also spoke of increased strength and maturity. The England recall felt for a while inevitable.Anybody who has played cricket at any level will be familiar with the humiliation of a golden duck.If you don't find the humiliation of having a null next to your name enough, there is always the number one, which will forever mark in history that you couldn't survive a single, measly, delivery.Some batsmen compare getting out to a slow death with all the grief that comes along.A golden duck is an immediate execution. You won't be able to speak your last words from the Gallows. The firing squad has pulled the trigger and your neck is already in the noose.An innings' anticipation is to anticipate where it will lead you. The shots, the sweat, and the verbal jousts with the bowler are all part of the excitement. But a golden duck is like the end of an adventure without having packed your bags.A golden duck can actually take less time to make than it takes for you to put your pads on.Who hasn’t been full of optimism while waiting? Hameed waited almost five years.He came out, greeted by the Lord's people, and he began to swing the bat towards the crease. His chest guard looked like someone had hidden a car door in his shirt.He checked his guard three times, scratching the ground to ensure he was in the right spot.The next step was unfathomable. In cricket terms, Mohammed Siraj's straight ball was missed by light years. Castled middle and off stumps. A golden duck. All that.Haseeb Hameed's three Tests prior to this match averaged 43.80Lord's let out an collective gasp in dismay. This level of optimism has never been so quickly destroyed.The lonely and dissolute trudge on. Even the most heartfelt person would want to give him a hug and tell him that everything is going well and that cricket is stupid.Even though Hameed's experiences are difficult, it is still a victory to be back playing for England.He was unable to escape the pain of being a first-baller but he shared a joke with his teammates on the dressing-room balcony.After scoring a golden duck earlier in this match, Jimmy Sinclair of South Africa, who was once a prisoner, won 104 against Australia.This is the beauty of Test cricket: there's always the second.
