{"id":20373,"date":"2024-02-16T09:58:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T14:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/ben-duckett-plays-extraordinary-innings-as-panicked-india-swept-into-submission-cricket-news\/16\/02\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-02-16T09:58:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T14:58:37","slug":"ben-duckett-plays-extraordinary-innings-as-panicked-india-swept-into-submission-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/ben-duckett-plays-extraordinary-innings-as-panicked-india-swept-into-submission-cricket-news\/16\/02\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Duckett plays ‘extraordinary’ innings as ‘panicked’ India swept into submission | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

\n

“It was out of this world. The amount of skill you need to play those sweeps\u2026 it has been extraordinary.”<\/p>\n

Those are the words of former England opener Sir Alastair Cook as he reflected on the scintillating unbeaten century scored by one of the current incumbents, Ben Duckett, against India in Rajkot.<\/p>\n

Cook – England’s leading Test run-scorer of all time with 12,472 in 161 matches – had extraordinary qualities of his own: longevity, endurance, patience and no little ability.<\/p>\n

But you would not have found him sweeping and reverse sweeping as frequently as Duckett did on day two of the third Test, en route to an 88-ball hundred and beyond, which propelled his team to 207-2 in just 35 overs at a run rate of 5.91. Proper Bazball.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n Twitter<\/span>
\n
\n This content is provided by Twitter<\/span>, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
\n To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
\n You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter<\/span> cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
\n You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options<\/a>.
\n <\/span>
\n
\n Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter<\/span> cookies.
\n To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter<\/span> cookies for this session only.
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n Enable Cookies<\/a>
\n Allow Cookies Once<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

Cook and Duckett may bat in the same position but they are very different players. Cook was a pillar in a past England batting line-up, Duckett a punisher in the current one.<\/p>\n

Duckett ended Friday’s play 133 not out from 118 balls with a strike-rate of 112.71. He struck 21 fours and two sixes.<\/p>\n

He scored the fastest Test hundred by an Englishman in India and second quickest by an England opener anywhere, behind only Zak Crawley’s 86-ball effort against Pakistan in 2022.<\/p>\n

Duckett, like so many players before him in this swashbuckling batting unit under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, threatened to challenge Gilbert Jessop’s record 76-ball England century, scored against Australia at The Oval in 1902.<\/p>\n

He ultimately fell short – but punished India when they did likewise. Anything back of a length was cut and pulled to the fence, anything full was swept, reverse swept and occasionally driven there.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

\n Duckett is a phenomenal talent so credit to him, he’s made a wonderful hundred. I wanted to clap, but the hardcore competitor in me didn’t allow me to clap, but I’m very happy for Ben. A couple of his shots, the slog sweeps were really, really special.<\/span><\/p>\n