Former England pacer Steve Harmison believes that India never felt that they would have a chance to out poll wicket winner Ben Duckett in the Leeds Test on Day 5 of their match on Tuesday Jun 24. Duckett approached the last day of the game with positive mind and mauled Indian bowlers with his brilliant batting. Harmison applauded Duckett on his hit and said that English opener thought that he will hit the match-winning knock.
Steve Harmison’s Statement
“He (Duckett) believed he was going to score runs. He had a lot of positive intent, like he always does. I am not sure India believed they are going to get him out. I don’t think India got their plans right. I don’t think they bowled the right lengths and right lines to him. And, he capitalized on it,” said Harmison.
“They didn’t have an answer. They didn’t have a formula to stop him from scoring. They didn’t have a plan and really were rudderless when it came to what their plan was, executing their skill set. Even in the field, they weren’t stopping singles. India’s bowlers were bowling good balls, but England were getting singles,” said Harmison.
Higlights Of Day 5 Of 1st Test
England have defeated India in the 1st Test of five-match Test series at Headingley, Leeds. A tense game that stretched to the final day final session, England won, achieving the second-biggest Test chase on English soil, having to chase 371 and losing only five wickets in the process. England opener Ben Duckett topped the table with a superb 149 on the last day. India have become the first team in the history of 148 years of Test cricket to have 5 centurions in a game yet lose. Rishabh Pant made hundreds in each of the two innings and, captain Shubman Gill and openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul hit tons, to no effect. Consequently, Gill loses his first Test as captain.
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