Who is Ben Duckett? First English opener after Cook to hit century in India

The 29-year-old, who has played for Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire in County cricket and has been one of the poster boys of the change brought in by Bazball, smashed only his third ton in Tests

Ben Duckett became the first English opener after great sir Alastair Cook to hit a century on Indian soil in Tests as he smashed the Indian bowlers all over the park at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, formerly known as Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, in Rajkot on Friday, February 16, during the third Test of the five-match series.

Check India vs England 3rd Test Day 4 live score and match updates here

Check IND vs ENG 3rd Test full scorecard here

Duckett, who has been in attacking mode through all five innings, could not cross the fifty-run mark in the first two Tests. However, in the third one, the left-handed batter did not let his start go begging as he smashed fifty in just 39 balls. 

Even after losing his opening partner Crawley at the other end, who became R Ashwin’s 500th Test scalp, Duckett continued to pressure the Indian spinners with sweeps and reverse ones.

England openers who hit Test century in 21st century in India
Player	Score	Year	Venue
Ben Duckett	128 and counting	2024	Rajkot
Alaister Cook	130	2016	Rajkot
Andrew Strauss	123 & 108	2008	Chennai

Check India vs England 3rd Test full scorecard here
 

The 29-year-old, who has played for Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire in County cricket and has been one of the poster boys of the change brought in by Bazball, smashed only his third ton in Test cricket. 

Striking below 50 in the pre-Bazball era, Duckett revamped his batting completely, adapting to the regime change in England’s red-ball cricket and hitting at a strike rate of 85 in Tests now. His strike rate in the Bazball era has been near a hundred, as he reached his hundred in less than run-a-ball. 

To bring up his hundred with a perfect straight drive was, in a way, the culmination of the thinking that Bazball stands for–play your shots, not in a rash, but without the fear of losing your wicket.

Ben Duckett. Photo: Sportzpics for BCCI

Duckett in Bazball era

Duckett has hit all of his three centuries during Bazball and he averages more than 50. Before this innings at Rajkot, his average in 25 innings in the Bazball era was 49.86 while his strike rate since 2022 in Tests has been beyond 90, far better than his strike rate of 57 in 2016, the only other year when he played Test cricket.

Ben Duckett career stats
	Span	Mat	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	Catches
Overall	2016-2024	18	1382	182	46.06	3	16
Away from home	2016-2024	12	879	130*	43.95	2	7

Fastest English batter to score a century in India

With his 88-ball century, Duckett became the fastest English batter to score a Test century against India in India. Australian legend Adam Gilchrist is the fastest to reach the 100-run mark in India. He created the record in the 2001 Mumbai Test at Wankhede Stadium. The second on the list is the West Indian great Clive Llyod, followed by Duckett.

Fastest Test 100s vs India in India (balls faced)
Player	Balls faced	Venue	Year
Adam Gilchrist	84	Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium)	2001
Clive Llyod	85	Bengaluru	1974
Ben Duckett	88	Rajkot	2024
Ross Taylor	99	Bengaluru	2012

 

Fastest Test 100s for England away from home (balls faced)
Player	Balls faced	Opposition	Venue	Year
Harry Brook	80	Pakistan	Rawalpindi	2022
Zak Crawley	86	Pakistan	Rawalpindi	2022
Kevin Pieterson	88	West Indies	Port of Spain	2009
Ben Duckett	88	India	Rajkot	2024
Ollie Pope	90	Pakistan	Rawalpindi	2022