Follow UsEngland already have backs against the wall in the One-Day Internationals (ODI) having lost two of the three matches. However, opening batter Ben Duckett says that he does not care if his side lose the series 3-0 as long as they go on to win the Champions Trophy. England have lost both the ODIs, in Nagpur and Cuttack, respectively, by four wickets.
“We have come here for one thing, and that is to win the Champions Trophy," said Ducket ahead of the third ODI against India in Ahmedabad.
“We still believe we can do that. It’ll be completely different conditions, all different teams we are playing against."
“If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy. If we do that, we probably won’t look back on this if we do the business in that competition."
Duckett believes that as long as the England side click during the Champions Trophy, this series loss to India would have been forgotten. “It’s about peaking at the right time," Duckett, who has scored 32 and 65 in the two games, said.
“We have been close against this India side, and we have been nowhere near our best. We will always take positives. We could dwell, start meetings and going at each other, but the group under Baz [Brendon McCullum] aren’t going to do that.
“It’s difficult not to get the results here, but hopefully, we can turn it around in Pakistan."
After the India series, England will travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and get their campaign underway against Australia in Lahore on February 22.