Former England cricketer David Lloyd has compared Ben Duckett to Virender Sehwag following the southpaw’s match-winning century against India at Headingley in Leeds in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Duckett scored one of the finest hundreds at Headingley on Tuesday, June 24, as England chased down a 371-run mark and won by five wickets on Day 5. The left-handed starter hammered 149 off 170 balls in the fourth inning, including 21 fours and a six.
Lloyd drew parallels with Sehwag’s efforts against England, claiming Duckett’s impact was similar to what the legendary Indian opening batter did to English bowlers in the game’s longest format. The cricketer-turned-commentator emphasised Duckett’s hockey background and stated that the reverse sweep is a natural shot for the left-handed batter.
“Ben Duckett has come a long way since he poured a drink on Jimmy Anderson during an Ashes tour.”
He is now England’s answer to Virender Sehwag, starting the batting for your World XI. The reverse sweep is a really natural shot for him. He does it for enjoyment. It’s no surprise to find he was a good hockey player in school because it’s similar to a hockey shot,” Lloyd wrote in his Daily Mail column.
The England opener, who also hit a half-century in the first innings of the Headingley Test, has 2621 runs in 34 Tests at an impressive average of 43.68 and a mind-boggling strike rate of 86.19. Meanwhile, Sehwag’s international career ended with 8586 runs from 104 Tests, an average of 49.34 and a strike rate of 82.24. Sehwag has the greatest strike rate in Test cricket among hitters with at least 3000 runs. Duckett can break this mark during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where he needs 379 runs from four Test matches to join the 3000-run club.
The second Test between India and England is scheduled to be held at the iconic Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Wednesday, July 2.
India
