Duckett was all praise for skipper Brook.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The hardest thing to do in modern-day cricket is to shift gears when you are already cruising. Fresh off a 4-0 dismantling of reigning World T20 champion India in the shortest format, England will face a different kind of test from Tuesday.
Awaiting the host in the ODI series is a significantly stronger Indian side, bolstered by the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. For England, the presence of India’s talismanic trio demands a change in the gameplan.
In a virtual interaction on Monday, opener Ben Duckett acknowledged the scale of the “challenge” but insisted that England was confident of carrying its momentum into the 50-over assignment. “Obviously, it’s a different format, so there will be slight changes. Rohit, Virat and Jasprit are three of the greatest players to play this format. Any side with them is always extremely tough to beat,” said Duckett.
“Shubman Gill is back as well, so there’s a lot of class in that side. They’re (Rohit, Kohli and Gill) players we’ve faced before, and I’m sure our bowlers will have plans for them. Jasprit is probably the best all-format bowler in the world, so any Indian side with him is always a huge challenge,” added the 31-year-old.
The left-hander, however, remained optimistic about the home side clinching the series. “We’re confident coming into this week. We’ve got a lot of guys playing well, too, so it should be a good series. We certainly fancy our chances,” he said.
Duckett reserved special praise for England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook, crediting him for fostering an “aggressive and fearless” approach within the group.
“Brookie leads by example. He wants us to play attacking cricket, and that’s exactly how he plays. He’s always looking to take wickets with attacking fields. As a batter, there aren’t many better all-format players than him in the world right now. We’re very fortunate to have him leading us.”
(Watch the three-match ODI series between England and India Live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD & Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD from July 14).
Published – July 13, 2026 11:21 pm IST
