England opener Ben Duckett believes that his team will defeat India in the upcoming five-Test match series and also believes that there is nothing in the India pacer Jasprit Bumrah that would surprise him. India will face England in the upcoming English summer for a five-match Test series. While there are plenty of mouth-watering narratives the most appealing one would be how the England batting would react to Jasprit Bumrah with the Indian pacer has been setting new standards in fast bowling in recent times.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir shut his critics after guiding the Rohit Sharma-led side to a Champions Trophy haul in Dubai earlier this month, but he has yet to prove himself in Test cricket, with the next big assignment being the tour of England. Ahead of the five-match series, slated to be held in June, England opener Ben Duckett backed his side to add to India’s woes, saying they “should” win the contest.
England opener Ben Duckett believes Jasprit Bumrah will ‘no longer a surprise for him’ ahead of five Test match series against India
India have toured England 19 times in history since their first visit in 1932, but managed to claim just three series wins in the country, the last being in 2007. In 2021, the Virat Kohli-led side did take a fabulous 2-1 lead after the first four games on the tour, before the fifth and final tie was cancelled due to a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp. The match was rescheduled a year later in Birmingham, where England won to deny India a historic series win.
India have toured 19 times in history since their first visit in 1932 but managed to claim just three series wins in the country, the last being in 2007. In 2021, the Virat Kohli-led side did take a fabulous 2-1 lead after the first four games on the tour, before the fifth and final tie was cancelled due to a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp. The match was rescheduled a year later in Birmingham, where England won the Test to seal the series which Jasprit Bumrah captained it.
Ben Duckett on facing Jasprit Bumrah in upcoming five-match IND vs ENG Test series
India have a T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy under their belt in the last 12 months, but they have been below par in Test cricket in recent times where they suffered back to back defeats to New Zealand and Australia that also knocked them out of the World Test Championship final. The focus currently is on the IPL, but India have a massive series against England lined up after the T20 extravaganza. India don’t have a great record in England, but they drew the series 2-2 the last time they toured the country.
England is not the same team that used to scare oppositions at home and India have improved a lot in away series given their strong bowling attack which would again be key during in England. On paper, the series should be evenly matched but England batter Ben Duckett feels the hosts would easily beat India during the five match series.
“India at home is very different to India away. It’s a side I feel we should beat and we can beat. It’ll be a good series,” Duckett said to Mail Sport.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah will be key. The fast bowler has been instrumental in India’s wins away from home and the visitors would need him fit and in peak form to win the series against England. Duckett opened up on the prospect of facing Jasprit Bumrah and said that it would be challenging, but added that he has played Jasprit Bumrah a lot before so there is nothing that would surprise him.
“I’ve faced him in a five-Test series before. I know what he’s going to do to me, and the good thing about that is I know what skills he has,” said Duckett.
“There’s going to be nothing that surprises me. It’s going to be challenging, and the red-ball skills of Mohammed Shami are just as threatening as Bumrah. But if I can get through that opening spell, I feel there are runs to be had,” he said.
Jasprit Bumrah is currently on the road to recovery from the injury he got in Australia during the fifth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He got injured during the fourth day of the last Test against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. Jasprit Bumrah ended the five-Test match series as the highest wicket-taker with 32 scalps. The legendary speedster will make his cricketing comeback in April during Indian Premier League 2025.
Ben Duckett faces backlash
Ben Duckett has deactivated his ‘X’ account after a controversial statement on Jasprit Bumrah. The lefty batter has received tremendous backlash from the fans. This is not the first time that Ben Duckett he has made some comments as during the India vs England ODI series before ICC CT 2025, he had stated that England would beat them in ICC CT 2025 knock-out matches rather than winning the ODI series and England didn’t even qualify for Semi Final contest.