"Not sure India believed they are going to get him out" - Former England pacer's massive claim on ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former England pacer Steve Harmison reckons that India did not believe they could get Player of the Match Ben Duckett out on Day 5 of the Leeds Test on Tuesday, June 24. According to Harmison, India not only looked clueless against the England left-hander, but also eased the pressure on him by allowing him to take singles constantly.

England beat India by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley in Leeds on Tuesday. Chasing a target of 371, the hosts got home in the last session of play as Duckett led the way with 149. The southpaw and Zak Crawley (65) added 188 for the first wicket before Joe Root (53*) and Jamie Smith (44*) guided England home to a memorable victory.

While praising Duckett for his brilliant knock, Harmison questioned India's tactics against the England opener. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, he opined:

"Ben Duckett played wonderfully well. He believed he was going to play a match-winning knock. He believed he was going to score runs. He had a lot of positive intent like he always does. I am not sure India believed they are going to get him out. I don't think India got their plans right. I don't think they bowled the right lengths and right lines to him. And, he capitalized on it."

Harmison added that India's bowling looked absolutely clueless against Duckett and co. as a result of which England were hardly put under pressure in the chase. The former right-arm pacer elaborated:

"They didn't have an answer. They didn't have a formula to stop him from scoring. They didn't have a plan and really were rudderless when it came to what their plan was, executing their skill set. Even in the field, they weren't stopping singles. India's bowlers were bowling good balls, but England were getting singles."

Duckett struck 21 fours and one six in his fine knock before being dismissed by Shardul Thakur. He also contributed a crucial 62 in the first innings.

---

Ben Duckett reflects on special ton following England's win in Leeds

Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Duckett said that he and Zak Crawley understood the importance of the opening session and hence reined themselves in. He, however, added that England were confident of chasing down the target despite the watchful start on Day 5. The left-hander said:

"In that period [first session], it was really important that me and Zak got through without losing any wickets. It was pretty clear to us this morning. If we batted for the whole day [at the tempo that] we normally do, we'd probably get the total, so we didn't overthink anything. Certainly we had to get through Jasprit's first spell and that new ball, and from there on, we were just playing our natural games."

Duckett has played 34 Tests so far in which he has scored 2,621 runs at an average of 43.68, with six hundreds and 14 half-centuries. Having made his debut in October 2016, he played only four matches before being dropped. After making a comeback in December 2022, he has established himself as a key member of the Test squad.

Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news

Edited by Renin Wilben Albert