Follow UsBen Duckett has been a crucial cog in England’s Bazball philosophy, with his swashbuckling style of batting at the top of the order. The left-hander was yet again in the centre of all things, during England’s second-highest run-chase at Headingley, where they mauled down 371.
Duckett combined well with Zak Crawley at the top of the order to give the hosts a rollicking 188-run stand, which took the game completely away from the visitors. But what stood out during that partnership was Duckett taking on Ravindra Jadeja in the most T20esque manner - reverse sweeps.
Since his return to Tests, Duckett has scored 152 runs via switch hits and reverse sweeps, the second-most, only behind Joe Root (178). What’s astonishing is that Duckett strikes at 185.4 while playing these shots, which prompted England skipper Ben Stokes to hail the left-hander as one of the world’s best at ‘reverse sweeps’.
"I actually spoke to him when we came off for that tea break, or rain break, whichever one it was," Stokes said after the five-wicket win against India. "He's one of the best in the world at doing reverse sweeps and he's a fantastic player of spin, in particular on really tricky surfaces."
While Duckett earned himself the headline, his batting partner, Crawley too played a crucial 126-ball 65, which forced India to tighten up the screws.
"Chasing 370 like we were, you always want to get off to a good start. The least amount of wickets that you lose early on is obviously crucial, but the way he went about it with Zak [Crawley] and then played the game at the top of that order for us was huge in particular," Stokes said.
"I think the way that Zak played as well was huge. They complement each other so, so well. Left hand, right hand, one's a giant, one's not. So it's very hard for the bowlers to settle in when they both get going. It's hard to find any rhythm. I'm sure you can ask the opposition. It can be a nightmare when they're in for a long period of time,” he added.
“Ducky's [Duckett] got the 149, but I think that 70 [65] as well was so, so important. I thought he led the situation very well, knowing that Ducky was getting away and was able to put the pressure back onto them. That opening partnership for us at the top has been very, very good over the last couple of years."
Under the Bazball era, England have mauled down multiple targets with relative ease, almost like it's their modus operandi. After another such record chase, Stokes reckoned that it is the ‘calmness’ in the dressing room that helps them play this way.
"I think we're just... We're a very simple-minded pair, me and Baz, I think, when it comes to cricket. Obviously, everyone knows what cricket's about. It's about scoring one more run than the opposition. And when you strip it all back, that's what it's like. So we just try to keep everything as simple, calm as we possibly can," Stokes said.
"When you're chasing down totals like that, how you are in the dressing room is actually very important. You know, because the lads have got jobs to go out there and do. And, you know, keeping the sort of calm, relaxed vibe as much as we can throughout the dressing room is so important to sort of the mindset of how someone is to go out there when you're out there in the middle with the pressures of, you know, that situation in particular.
The focus now will quickly shift to the second Test, which begins on July 2, where Jofra Archer might return, bolstering England.