England opener Ben Duckett made history with the fastest fifty by an England player in Tests. He achieved this remarkable feat in just 32 balls during the 2nd Test against West Indies at Nottingham, showcasing his exceptional skill and talent.

In the 10th over, Jason Holder bowled a good length delivery. Duckett opened the face of his bat and guided it perfectly past the gully fielder for a boundary. This shot marked his 11th boundary of the innings, bringing up his fifty in style.

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, their cheers echoing throughout the stadium as they celebrated Duckett’s historic achievement.

Duckett eventually got out for 71 runs off 59 balls by Shamar Joseph in the 19th over, with England at 105 for 2. He lost his opening partner, Zak Crawley in the first over when Alzarri Joseph bowled him out for a duck after the West Indies chose to bowl first in Nottingham.

Fastest team fifties in Test cricket by overs

4.2 overs – England vs West Indies (today)

4.3 overs – England vs South Africa in 1994

4.6 overs – England vs Sri Lanka in 2002

5.2 Overs – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan in 2004

Fastest Test fifties for England by balls

28 – Ian Botham vs India, 1981

30 – Jonny Bairstow vs New Zealand, 2022

32 – Ben Duckett vs West Indies, 2024

32 – Ian Botham vs New Zealand, 1986

Ben Duckett, the English opener, acknowledged the commendable resurgence of the Indian team in the 3rd Test match held in Rajkot. He credited their formidable bowling attack for restricting England to a modest 319 runs in the first innings, followed by a dominant batting display that propelled India to 196/2 by the close of play on day three.

With a commanding lead of 322 runs after day three, India exhibited a strong performance, setting the stage to extend their advantage further on the fourth day. Duckett, who has amassed 284 runs in three matches at an impressive average of 56.80, stands as the second-highest run-scorer in the series so far.

England’s Aggression and India’s Response: Ben Duckett Defends Root’s Dismissal

Duckett’s notable contribution came in England’s first innings, where his aggressive knock of 153 runs off 151 balls showcased his prowess with 23 fours and two sixes, particularly targeting Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling. Despite his stellar performance, Duckett acknowledged India’s resilience in pulling back momentum, especially praising their disciplined bowling.

Reflecting on Joe Root’s dismissal in the first innings, Duckett defended the England captain’s unorthodox shot choice, attributing it to Root’s unique ability to execute unconventional strokes, akin to his own aggressive batting style.

India’s Resilience Shines: Duckett Acknowledges Indian Team’s Dominance

Commenting on India’s strategic move to send in a nightwatchman after the fall of Rajat Patidar’s wicket, Duckett perceived it as a sign of India’s respect for England’s potential to pose a threat, indicating a level of caution from the opposition.

However, amidst the intense gameplay, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unfortunate retirement due to back spasms disrupted India’s rhythm momentarily, providing England with an opportunity to strike back by dismissing Patidar for a duck and breaking the partnership between Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.

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Earlier in the day, India faced a challenge as Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the Test squad due to a family emergency, leaving the team with a 10-man side. Nevertheless, Ashwin’s milestone moment of claiming his 500th Test wicket by dismissing Zak Crawley added a touch of significance amidst the ongoing challenges faced by the Indian team, underscoring their resilience and adaptability in adverse circumstances.

England opener Ben Duckett admitted that their side was left surprised with the aggressive approach of the Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma during Day 1 of the first Test at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. However, after bowling out England for 246, Indian openers got off to a swashbuckling start and put on a massive 80-run stand for the first wicket off 74 balls as well.

Jaiswal, playing his first Test in India looked comfortable in the middle as he scored 76 off 70 balls smashing nine fours and three sixes as well on Day 1. While reflecting on the day’s play for England, England opener Ben Duckett stated that they could’ve easily had 3-4 wickets in the Indian innings but they were caught off guard with their positive approach as well.

“We could have easily had three or four [wickets] there tonight and it could have been very different. The way they played at the top was quite positive, and that’s fair play to them. I don’t think we necessarily thought they were going to come out and play like that, but Stokesy [Ben Stokes] got us to what we think was an above-par score. They don’t always go about it like that, so to go about it that way shows that they probably think that pitch is going to get quite a bit worse,” Ben Duckett was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

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Further speaking ahead, the veteran also applauded Jaiswal for his aggressive intent and he hoped to bundle out India as quickly as possible on Day 2 as well.

“I think he played beautifully. These are home conditions [for India] and you’d expect nothing less of their lads than to play well out here. Even the wicket to get Rohit, they were looking quite set with those two and then that happened. Fingers crossed, if moments like that happen tomorrow, we can stick three or four [wickets] on them and you never know. If we can keep them to around our score, or even a little bit of a lead, I think we’re right in the game,” Ben Duckett concluded.

However, after opting to bat first, Duckett (35 off 39) got England off to a good start along with Zak Crawley (20 off 40) adding 55 runs for the first wicket as well. But, the Indian bowlers bounced back quickly and reduced the visitors to 155/7. From there on, captain Ben Stokes batted well with the tail and played a great knock of 70 (88) to help England reach 246. In reply, India finished Day 1 on 119/1 after 23 overs with Jaiswal (76* off 70) and Shubman Gill (14* off 43) trailing England by 127 runs as well.