Ben Duckett remains unfazed by the prospect of a 3-0 series defeat in India, insisting that England’s primary focus is on winning the upcoming Champions Trophy. The visitors suffered their fourth consecutive one-day international series loss after India secured a four-wicket victory in Cuttack, with Rohit Sharma leading the charge with a blistering 90-ball 119. With one game left in Ahmedabad before shifting their attention to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, England are looking ahead to their opening match against Australia on 22 February.
Despite the disappointing results, Duckett emphasized that the current series is not England’s priority. “We have come here for one thing, and that is to win the Champions Trophy,” he stated. “We still believe we can do that. Certain players are finding their feet and a bit of form. This is a massive series, but the Champions Trophy is the big competition. If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final in the Champions Trophy. No one will probably look back on this series if we go and do the business in that competition.”
Duckett played an aggressive innings in the second ODI, scoring a quickfire 65 before falling to Ravindra Jadeja. His dismissal came as a result of an attempted slog sweep that found a fielder in the deep. While England managed to post a competitive total exceeding 300, they lacked a standout innings, with Joe Root top-scoring at 69.
Acknowledging his own missed opportunity, Duckett admitted he was not satisfied with his contribution. “I’m not content with getting 60,” he said. However, he defended his aggressive approach, which ultimately led to his dismissal. He cited the backing of head coach Brendon McCullum, who encourages attacking play.
“You could knock it around for 15 overs and get myself a score,” Duckett explained. “But it felt like [Jadeja] was the man I was going to take down to the short boundary. It didn’t come off.”
He reinforced that McCullum’s philosophy supports such intent, even if the execution does not always work. “That’s what [McCullum] wants us to do. If I am facing a left-arm spinner, it’s not to knock it around and try and selfishly get myself a score. It’s trying to put him under pressure. If that goes for six, who knows? Me and [Root] bat longer and we get 350 or something.”
According to Duckett, the team remains committed to an aggressive approach and will not be discouraged by setbacks. “Baz 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 time again,” he said. “As long as we are sticking to the options we practise, sticking to our strengths, there will be no complaints inside that dressing room.”
With the ODI series loss already confirmed, England will be looking to salvage a win in Ahmedabad before shifting their complete focus to the Champions Trophy, where they hope to make their mark on the global stage.
