England Star Unbothered by Potential Whitewash, Eyes Champions Trophy Glory
England’s aggressive opener Ben Duckett has shrugged off concerns about a potential 0-3 whitewash against India in the ongoing ODI series, insisting that England’s primary focus remains on winning the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Despite back-to-back defeats in the first two ODIs, England’s batting unit has struggled to execute their high-risk, high-reward approach against India's disciplined bowling attack. But Duckett remains confident that England's real challenge is peaking at the right time for the marquee ICC event.
Talking to Sky Sports after losing to England in the second ODI, Duckett said it would be 'acceptable' for his side to suffer a series loss against India, as their 'real' objective is winning the Champions Trophy. "We have come here for one thing, and that is to win the Champions Trophy". If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final. It’s about peaking at the right time. We've been close against India and been nowhere near our best. We will always take positives”, he stated.
Duckett was one of the notable performers for England in the second ODI, scoring a brisk 65 off 56 balls with ten boundaries. His aggressive knock gave England a good start, but his dismissal led to a slowdown, which meant that the visitors could not get to a more formidable total. England could score only 304 on a batting-friendly surface in Cuttack but still fell short by 25-30 runs, allowing India to chase down the target with ease.
While Duckett admitted that he was not fully satisfied with his contribution, he remains committed to his attacking approach. "I am not content with getting 65. But I wouldn't change anything I did. Until I got out, I played nicely. [Coach Brendon McCullum] will never have a go at me for trying to hit a left-arm spinner for six over midwicket with a shot I play time and again". Stick to the options that we practice, and no one will have a complaint in the dressing room", he added.
England's batting in the ODI series has not been convincing and it is still a question of how they can cope with subcontinent conditions going into the Champions Trophy. The visitors have failed to maintain their aggressive brand of cricket against a well-balanced Indian bowling line-up, even in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. However, Duckett's comments reflect the confidence of England in their process and long-term goal of winning silverware at the ICC event.
With one game remaining in the series, England will look to salvage some pride before shifting their focus entirely to Champions Trophy preparations.
