England opener Ben Duckett slammed an excellent 149 on Day 5 of the first Test against India to guide his team to a sensational victory. Duckett scored as many as 211 runs in the first Test across both innings, winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award as England pulled off the second-highest successful run chase on English soil. Former England coach and reputed commentator David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd has reserved the highest praise for Duckett, comparing him to India’s legendary maverick opener Virender Sehwag.

Lloyd mentioned that Duckett can play the same role that Sehwag used to play for India. Sehwag was regarded as a revolutionary opener in Test cricket, scoring over 8,500 runs at an average of nearly 50 and a strike-rate of more than 80.

“Ben Duckett has come a long way since he poured a drink over Jimmy Anderson on an Ashes tour. He is now England’s answer to Virender Sehwag and opening the batting in your World XI,” Lloyd wrote in his column for England-based newspaper The Daily Mail.

“The reverse sweep is such a natural shot for him. He plays it for fun. It’s no surprise to learn he was a good hockey player at school because it’s like a hockey shot,” Lloyd added.

Ben Duckett believes a change of mindset has inspired his successful return to Test cricket after a brilliant century laid the foundation for England’s remarkable win in their series opener with India.

Duckett’s commanding 149 was the key innings as England successfully chased an imposing total of 371 to win by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday.

It was another milestone moment for 30-year-old Duckett since returning to the England side in December 2022.

His 30 appearances in his second spell as a Test cricketer have yielded 2,511 runs at an average of 47.37 and a strike rate of 88.07.

Duckett’s heroics at Headingley saw him lauded by former England captain Nasser Hussain, who labelled him “the best multi-format batsman in the world”.

Duckett said his success was down to an improved mentality after he had been criticised for getting himself out with needlessly flamboyant shots.

“My mindset personally is a bit different to what it has been over the last couple of years,” he told reporters.

“Potentially there’s a bit of maturity kicking in. Playing more Test matches, learning from mistakes, is number one.

“Failures are easy to make changes and learn from, rather than just when you do well,” Duckett added.

With AFP inputs