Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

England surprised by attacking intent of India openers - Duckett

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Thursday, 25 January 2024 04:42
England were not expecting Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, India's openers, to play with the attacking intent that they did on the first evening of the first Test in Hyderabad. That is according to Ben Duckett, who insisted that England's total of 246 was "an above-par score" after nine wickets fell to spin across the opening day of the five-match series.
"It's spinning quite a lot on day one," Duckett told talkSPORT. "We could have easily had three or four [wickets] there tonight and it could have been very different. The way they played at the top was quite positive, and that's fair play to them. I don't think we necessarily thought they were going to come out and play like that, but Stokesy [Ben Stokes] got us to what we think was an above-par score.

"It was quite a good day. I thought we were pretty happy there, getting bowled out for what we were. I thought Stokesy was superb. We found it pretty tricky and I think, to be honest, they played well and really positively tonight. It's tough work against that attack, and I thought we grafted really well today... when the ball is spinning like that on day one, it can be quite tough."

Jaiswal and Rohit put on 80 for the first wicket in 12.2 overs before Jack Leach took England's only wicket of the first day, when Rohit was caught by a back-pedalling Stokes at mid-on. Jaiswal was unbeaten at stumps after reaching 76 off 70 balls, with Shubman Gill playing more watchfully from No. 3 to finish 14 not out.

Duckett suggested that India's decision to attack was informed by a belief that the pitch will deteriorate as the game wears on. "You have to pay credit to them: they played really well tonight and were very attacking, which is positive," he told reporters. "They don't always go about it like that, so to go about it that way shows that they probably think that pitch is going to get quite a bit worse."

England lost wickets in clusters during their innings, with Duckett's own dismissal - lbw to R Ashwin for 35 - quickly followed by Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley falling to spin. "That's going to happen out here, and that's something that we'll have good belief in when we're bowling," Duckett said. "We could easily take three or four [wickets] tomorrow morning for 10 runs.

"It feels like a tricky pitch to start on. Shubman there, we could have had him there. It looked like a dead lbw [when he was struck on the pad by Tom Hartley on 1] and somehow, it's bouncing over the stumps. It's one of those things. We'll stick to our mantra and that's taking wickets and looking to be positive. Hopefully that will happen for us as well."

On Jaiswal, who is playing against England for the first time in his international career, Duckett said: "I think he played beautifully. These are home conditions [for India] and you'd expect nothing less of their lads than to play well out here. Even the wicket to get Rohit, they were looking quite set with those two and then that happened.

"Fingers crossed, if moments like that happen tomorrow, we can stick three or four [wickets] on them and you never know. If we can keep them to around our score, or even a little bit of a lead, I think we're right in the game."

Read 92 times

Soccer

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMohamed Salah has said he is yet to receive a formal contract offer...

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored twice -- with one goal in each half -- a...

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRúben Amorim said Manchester United will have to "suffer for a long...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams sustained season-ending te...

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsScotty Pippen Jr. already had plenty of fond memories of watching h...

Baseball

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Chris Woodward has been named first-base coach by th...

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

EmailPrintRico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title when he hit a major-league-best...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated