Duckett Makes the Best of His Chances to Slam Another Fifty
Ben Duckett was in excellent form going into the first Test against India. With a string of impressive performances in his recent outings, the left-handed batsman was looking to continue his rich vein of form against the Indian team. And boy, did he make the most of it!
In his 10 previous innings across formats before this, Duckett had slammed a couple of big centuries and three fifties. The English cricket fans were eagerly waiting to see if he could carry his form into the Test series against India. And, as it turned out, Duckett did not disappoint.
What’s even more remarkable is that India had two golden opportunities to get rid of the southpaw, but they failed to latch onto their catches. Yes, you read that right! The Indian team had two chances to dismiss Duckett, but their fielders couldn’t quite get their hands on the ball, allowing the English batsman to make the most of his chances.
The first chance came when Duckett was batting on 24 and had just pulled a short ball from Hardik Pandya towards the fine leg boundary. However, India’s wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant, couldn’t quite get his gloves on the ball, and it went for a boundary. The second chance came when Duckett was on 44 and had edged a ball from Jasprit Bumrah towards the slips cordon. But, to the relief of Duckett and the English team, wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha couldn’t hold onto the catch.
These two dropped catches proved to be costly for India, as Duckett went on to score another fifty, taking his total to 83 runs in the innings. His knock was studded with 10 boundaries and a six, and it played a crucial role in England’s first innings total of 284.
Duckett’s innings was not just about the runs he scored, but also about the way he played against a strong Indian bowling attack. The Indian bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, were getting a lot of purchase out of the wicket, and Duckett had to be at his best to negotiate the deliveries.
Despite the fact that he was dropped twice, Duckett showed great temperament and patience to build his innings. He played with a strong sense of defense and didn’t shy away from taking risks when the situation demanded. His partnership with Joe Root was also crucial in taking the game away from India, as the two batsmen added 73 runs for the second wicket.
In the end, Duckett’s 83 runs off 123 balls turned out to be a match-winning knock for England. The team went on to win the Test by 227 runs, thanks largely to the efforts of their top-order batsmen.
Ben Duckett’s innings was a testament to his hard work and dedication to the game. Despite not being a regular member of the English Test team, Duckett has shown that he has the quality to play at the highest level. His partnership with Joe Root and his own counter-attacking innings showed that he is a player who can make a big impact in the game.
As the series continues, it will be interesting to see how Duckett performs in the remaining matches. Will he be able to carry his form into the next Test? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure – Ben Duckett has shown that he is a player who can make the most of his chances and play a big role in the game.
