Ben Duckett’s astonishing score of 86 on the first day of the third match against Sri Lanka, according to former England captain Nasser Hussain is only one of the many reasons why Duckett, the left-hand opener is the heart of the aggressive batting tactics of the team.
Ben Duckett guided his way to 86 in just 79 balls striking 9 fours and 2 sixers completely shattering the Sri Lankan bowling attack during their innings of 221/3 at The Oval.
“If we are frank, we do not wish to put a spin on it, Sri Lanka were dreadful. It’s hard to tell that couple has played before to any subcontinental batsman, let alone to the Duckett, who never allowed them to settle at all.”
“They kept bowling on the legs first up, or even outside the line of the pads and then when they over-compensated, they were too short and too wide. What does Ben Duckett enjoy the most? Short and wide balls outside off stump. He cut them mercilessly short within a day.”
“Then, these upper-cuts and scoops started to come back after the rain break. Yes, everyone knows that it was this that was his undoing in the end, baby steps because it is his job in the team. I agree with his mentality as there are many opening hitters before him who could not do anything once they stopped hitting.”
“Some of the time, coaches talk too much. One of those for long past would have said: In that case, why did you attempt that stroke? 100 was there for one’s taking. This was not Brendon McCullum, though. They have a built-in culture of taking risks and Duckett is the main proponent of it,” he says in his column for Daily Mail on Saturday, according to IANS.
He also considered Ben Duckett’s play against balls outside off-stump, which brings variations in his smashing style compared to other hitters in England. “87 runs were added against the 110 where Duckett had lined up to soak 197 out of 198 balls played in this series in a manner like adding his budget buying the 130 series title.”
“Imagine these openers Graham Gooch and Michael Atherton, who succeeded England openers have pitched their mat underneath that vogue passion of querulousness and left outside off-stump balls at will and forced the bowlers into the areas they wished. Or for that matter any of the modern day Test openers and compare him to Duckett – Doesn’t he stand out? There is a real gap between him and the others.”
“His career leave percentage is at less than 2% which means we can say his chances of playing a match are almost five times greater than the next person on the list of Pakistan Abdullah Shafique who has a career leave of 8.3 %. Yashasvi Jaiswal from India comes next on the list at 8.9%. Remember though Dom Sibley and Rory Burns, the set of openers from the previous England setup had an average of 25.3% and 21.5% respectively. “
“That is exactly how the way the England team management wants to see him performing, Ben Duckett furthermore, is able to put the pressure back to the opponents. For others, it could be a risky option to leave. Not for him. He always stands his ground, ‘If It’s What You Believe He Dropped On Your Servings. Even When It Looks So Friendlies. Doesn’t Trouble With Him””
As he finished, Hussain cloaked his prediction in saying that Australia will target Ben Duckett’s tendency to attack the off-stump, but the batter will not change his game approach in the series.
“As for batsmanship, one’s strength is also the same weakness and in Australia, I consider this factor will be utilized more in next year’s Ashes series. They will bowl at fourth stump, with a deep point, because they’re aware that he sends it there often.”
“Likewise, if a player is throwing this kind of shot every ball playing on that extra bounce in Australia surfaces – as you suggest – they could nick off.” But I cannot see him doing it. He will give it and that’s consistent with the unending communication coming from the England dressing room.”
“The worst part is that even after delivering runs off the shot, if a particular shot makes him bleeding out that very shot is what they do not want to see a player wait on for. For instance, he got out reverse sweeping at lord’s last week. They just want it played better apart from the overly making ones,’ Hussain continued.”
