Ben Duckett, the England opener, said the team’s aggressive style of Test cricket is changing beyond what has occasionally been seen as risky and believes they will start the Ashes series unencumbered by previous results. The average age of the England team is 28, whereas the home team’s average is 33. He is one of 11 players in the team who have not yet played Test cricket in Australia.
The left-handed batter claimed that the players had been welcomed in Perth despite a slew of humorous headlines from the local tabloids. Duckett has been England’s top run scorer among openers since his Test return in 2022. He amassed 321 runs at an average of 35.66 in the 2023 Ashes.
It was difficult for me to see that I am the fourth oldest in this group that we have. In the Willow Talk podcast, Duckett stated, “We have a fairly new group coming here that doesn’t have a lot of baggage, which I think will help us.”
“I’m excited about the challenge. You are aware of how difficult it is for touring sides to visit this area. I don’t have any expectations or goals for myself. I am aware that, under their home conditions, I will be opening the batting against perhaps the world’s top bowling attack,” he continued.
Pat Cummins will not be part of the attack for the first Test as he is still recuperating from a spinal stress strain. He finished another strong workout at the SCG on Tuesday, and there is hope that he will be available for the second test.
“You don’t want guys like them to miss out on series like this; you want to compete against the best. However, he is perhaps one of the world’s top bowlers, and I am an opening batsman. “So, quietly, I hope it’s not too bad, but obviously, we have an advantage in any game where he’s not playing,” Duckett added.
A more refined Bazball approach: Duckett
How Bazball would perform in Australian conditions has been a major topic of pre-series talk, but Duckett stated that their strategy is becoming more complex both individually and collectively.
“I believe that reading moments are now crucial. “Now you’re a better player than just getting 40 off 30 and getting us off to a good start,” [Brendon McCullum] will remark to me. There are times when, as an opening batter, we may have five overs to see at the end of the day in Perth in a few weeks. And last summer, I just managed to get through it when I did it against India. “Just show up in the morning, regardless of how many runs you have,” Duckett advised.
“I believe that’s the direction our team is currently aiming for; it goes beyond simply playing this amusing, occasionally risky, side. They’re going to put my team in a terrific position, but I’ve been unhappy with myself in the past when I could have gotten 80 off 60 and it looks wonderful and whatnot. Thus, it involves identifying moments, acting upon them, and then continuing to score highly. And I believe that’s where we’re truly hoping to go as a team right now,” he continued.
Stokes is the team’s most crucial player: Duckett
Duckett said he had been surprised by the level of training that captain Ben Stokes was putting in and called him the team’s most valuable man.
“All I can say is that he has been in beast mode for the couple days we have been out here. He has spent two hours batting, running, and bowling two spells. I’ve never witnessed him practice and do other things like that before. When he bowls, he is undoubtedly the most significant player on this team. He’s vital to us, so ideally he remains healthy for all five tests and bowls in each one,” Duckett said.
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