Follow UsSeldom do batters score 160 and yet end up on the losing side. But it was such kind of a night for Ben Duckett and England, who, despite scoring 351/8, ended up being second-best to the 2023 ODI World Cup champions on February 22.
Throughout the first innings, Duckett showed great range with the bat, smashing 165 off 143 balls, with 17 fours and three sixes. The left-hander took on all the Australian bowlers with equal use, using the shorter boundary to his use, finding gaps with relative ease.
Stats: Ben Duckett, England shatter records against Australia
It was Duckett’s third ODI century, and at one point, it looked like the most important innings of his life, considering England’s ODI form. The Three Lions skipper Jos Buttler couldn’t help but praise the left-hander’s stellar century at the top of the order.
"Ben Duckett played an absolutely outstanding innings. I'm really pleased for him, but credit to Australia. That was a fantastic chase, and Josh Inglis played brilliant innings to see them home," said Buttler at the post-match press conference.
"I thought we had a really good score. The way the wicket played there in the daytime, a little bit of indifferent bounce or the ball wasn't quite coming on so well. But there was always a little bit maybe on if the dew came in and how much it came in. So, it did start to skid on a bit more in the second half. But that being said, they were going to have to play really well to score 350, but they managed to."
But here’s what Buttler said about Duckett that was interesting: the English captain predicted that the left-hander could become the first Englishman to score a ‘double hundred’ in ODI cricket.
"I'm sure there won't be too many times he scores 160 and end up on the losing side. I think he's played fantastically well. I think he's been in great form for England across all the formats for the last few years and also getting his chance at the top of the order in the ODIs. I think his game is just perfectly suited to scoring big runs and asked before the tournament; I said I think he could be, you know, the first Englishman to score a double hundred in ODI cricket,” he said.
Over the last two years, Duckett has established himself as a three-format superstar with consistent runs across formats.
"And I think an innings like today just really should really prove to him how consistent he can be and how big a run he can score in this format. Obviously, it's a big year for English cricket, and he's going to be at the forefront of it. So, to start as he has done here and looking ahead I'm sure England fans will be excited to watch him back for the rest of the year,” Buttler said.
Buttler also hoped that Duckett could carry on this form for the Three Lions despite their defeat against Australia in the opener. England next play Afghanistan on February 26 in Lahore, which is a do-or-die for both teams, considering how both of them lost their opening clash.
"I think the longer it goes on, hopefully the closer you get to winning and the optimism and the belief is very much there in the team. Sometimes you put in a really good performance but the opposition are desperate to win and can play well too. So, I think we have to be proud of the way we played today and the way we performed, but give credit to the opposition for just being a little bit better and getting over the line."