Latest news with #NasserHussain
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
England's Duckett says mindset change behind Test success
England opener Ben Duckett reverse-sweeps on his way to 149 in the first Test against India at Headingley (Darren Staples) Ben Duckett believes a change of mindset has inspired his successful return to Test cricket after a brilliant century laid the foundation for England's remarkable win in their series opener with India. Duckett's commanding 149 was the key innings as England successfully chased an imposing total of 371 to win by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday. Advertisement It was another milestone moment for 30-year-old Duckett since returning to the England side in December 2022. His 30 appearances in his second spell as a Test cricketer have yielded 2,511 runs at an average of 47.37 and a strike rate of 88.07. Duckett's heroics at Headingley saw him lauded by former England captain Nasser Hussain, who labelled him "the best multi-format batsman in the world". Duckett said his success was down to an improved mentality after he had been criticised for getting himself out with needlessly flamboyant shots. "My mindset personally is a bit different to what it has been over the last couple of years," he told reporters. Advertisement "Potentially there's a bit of maturity kicking in. Playing more Test matches, learning from mistakes, is number one. "Failures are easy to make changes and learn from, rather than just when you do well." Jasprit Bumrah, the world's top ranked Test fast bowler, did not take a wicket in England's second innings, with Duckett playing a key role in subduing the India star. "It was pretty obvious Jasprit was a big threat of theirs," he said. "It was about realising whenever he came on it was going to be a short, sharp burst, trying to see him off and not necessarily playing any big shots. Advertisement "It's just realising that and taking the ego out of things. When he's coming on it's to get the breakthrough, get me out, and if you get through that period it gets easier." Duckett was ably assisted on Tuesday by Zak Crawley, who made 65 in a dominant opening stand of 188 with Duckett that paved the way for England to go 1-0 up in a five-match series ahead of next week's second Test at Edgbaston. Crawley started the season with his England place being called into question following a run of low scores against New Zealand. He responded with a century against Zimbabwe in a one-off Test at Trent Bridge last month. Advertisement The opener's fifty at Headingley was arguably even more valuable given the quality of the bowling and the state of the game. "The leadership of this team don't really talk about these things – if my place was under pressure they certainly wouldn't tell me," said Crawley, who has long enjoyed the backing of England captain Ben Stokes. "But I wasn't playing how I wanted to play in the winter and I feel a lot better about my game now." jdg/smg/iwd
The Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
How Ben Duckett's new-found ‘maturity' helped craft Headingley epic
Some of England 's greatest Test batters have been lining up to heap praise on Ben Duckett – but the left-hander puts his magical moment at Headingley down to banishing his ego. Duckett produced the best performance of his career in a stunning chase against India in the first Rothesay Test, smashing 149 at the top of the order to demolish a lofty fifth-day target of 371. Against an attack led by the best bowler on the planet, Jasprit Bumrah, it was an act of daring and defiance to rank alongside the greatest fourth-innings knocks the game has seen. And while it was a remarkable new peak for the 30-year-old, it continued a steady trend of impressive performances since his return to the side in December 2022. In 30 appearances since starting his second chapter he has scored 2,511 runs at an average of 47.37 and a strike rate of 88.07. Having also locked down top spot in the T20 and ODI teams, Duckett is increasingly being held up as England's most valuable player and a trio of distinguished ex-captains have been raving about him this week. Michael Vaughan declared 'pound for pound I don't think there's a better player in the game', Nasser Hussain touted his credentials as 'the best multi-format batsman in the world' and Sir Alastair Cook ranked him as 'the one that's hardest to bowl at'. Testimonies like that, as well as a new high of eighth in the ICC world rankings, could easily go to the head, but Duckett credits his best work to being older, wiser and less likely to get carried away. 'My mindset personally is a bit different to what it has been over the last couple of years. Potentially there's a bit of maturity kicking in,' he said. 'It was pretty obvious Jasprit was a big threat of theirs. It was about realising whenever he came on it was going to be a short, sharp burst, trying to see him off and not necessarily playing any big shots. 'It's just realising that and taking the ego out of things. Knowing I don't need to do that. When he's coming on it's to get the breakthrough, get me out, and if you get through that period it gets easier. 'Playing more Test matches, learning from mistakes, is number one. Failures are easy to make changes and learn from, rather than just when you do well.' Duckett was not in the side when Ben Stokes produced his own 'Miracle of Headingley' in the 2019 Ashes, or when England began building their reputation as peerless chasers in the first summer under the latter's captaincy. But he has more than made up for it now. 'There's a lot of new guys in this dressing room who haven't been around for loads of those big chases, but Stokesy feeds the message down,' he said. 'It's one thing I've not done loads of, even in county cricket, so winning a Test and scoring a hundred in the last innings… I'm delighted.' Duckett started the summer as the only member of England's top three not under scrutiny, but back-to-back hundreds have made Ollie Pope safe. Zak Crawley followed a century against Zimbabwe with a commendable supporting knock of 65 as the opening pair drained India's confidence with a stand of 188 on Tuesday. He appears to have put a torturous pre-Christmas tour of New Zealand behind him and is once again enjoying a productive partnership at the top of the order. 'The leadership of this team don't really talk about these things – if my place was under pressure they certainly wouldn't tell me,' he said. 'But I wasn't playing how I wanted to play in the winter and I feel a lot better about my game now. For me it's all about how I'm playing and I'm playing a lot better now.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Ben Duckett banished his ego before boosting batting brilliance for England
Some of England's greatest Test batters have been lining up to heap praise on Ben Duckett – but the left-hander puts his magical moment at Headingley down to banishing his ego. Duckett produced the best performance of his career in a stunning chase against India in the first Rothesay Test, smashing 149 at the top of the order to demolish a lofty fifth-day target of 371. Against an attack led by the best bowler on the planet, Jasprit Bumrah, it was an act of daring and defiance to rank alongside the greatest fourth-innings knocks the game has seen. And while it was a remarkable new peak for the 30-year-old, it continued a steady trend of impressive performances since his return to the side in December 2022. In 30 appearances since starting his second chapter he has scored 2,511 runs at an average of 47.37 and a strike rate of 88.07. Having also locked down top spot in the T20 and ODI teams, Duckett is increasingly being held up as England's most valuable player and a trio of distinguished ex-captains have been raving about him this week. Michael Vaughan declared 'pound for pound I don't think there's a better player in the game,', Nasser Hussain touted his credentials as 'the best multi-format batsman in the world' and Sir Alastair Cook ranked him as 'the one that's hardest to bowl at'. Testimonies like that, as well as a new high of eighth in the ICC world rankings, could easily go to the head, but Duckett credits his best work to being older, wiser and less likely to get carried away. 'My mindset personally is a bit different to what it has been over the last couple of years. Potentially there's a bit of maturity kicking in,' he said. 'It was pretty obvious Jasprit was a big threat of theirs. It was about realising whenever he came on it was going to be a short, sharp burst, trying to see him off and not necessarily playing any big shots. 'It's just realising that and taking the ego out of things. Knowing I don't need to do that. When he's coming on it's to get the breakthrough, get me out, and if you get through that period it gets easier. 'Playing more Test matches, learning from mistakes, is number one. Failures are easy to make changes and learn from, rather than just when you do well.' Duckett was not in the side when Ben Stokes produced his own 'Miracle of Headingley' in the 2019 Ashes, or when England began building their reputation as peerless chasers in the first summer under the latter's captaincy. But he has more than made up for it now. 'There's a lot of new guys in this dressing room who haven't been around for loads of those big chases, but Stokesy feeds the message down,' he said. 'It's one thing I've not done loads of, even in county cricket, so winning a Test and scoring a hundred in the last innings… I'm delighted.' Duckett started the summer as the only member of England's top three not under scrutiny, but back-to-back hundreds have made Ollie Pope safe. Zak Crawley followed a century against Zimbabwe with a commendable supporting knock of 65 as the opening pair drained India's confidence with a stand of 188 on Tuesday. He appears to have put a torturous pre-Christmas tour of New Zealand behind him and is once again enjoying a productive partnership at the top of the order. 'The leadership of this team don't really talk about these things – if my place was under pressure they certainly wouldn't tell me,' he said. 'But I wasn't playing how I wanted to play in the winter and I feel a lot better about my game now. For me it's all about how I'm playing and I'm playing a lot better now.'
News18
5 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Hussain Hails KL Rahul For 'Masterclass' On Batting In English Conditions
Last Updated: Nasser Hussain praised KL Rahul for his batting in tough English conditions, calling it a masterclass. Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised K.L. Rahul for his resolute 72 not out in the first session on the fourth day of the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, noting that the right-handed opener is demonstrating a masterclass on batting in English conditions. On Monday, Rahul stood firm with his calm demeanour and ability to withstand pressure from the erratic balls and uneven bounce to achieve his 9th Test hundred. 'He is so elegant. Even when a ball goes past the outside edge, it doesn't faze him too much. If you want to learn how to bat in English conditions, he is giving you a masterclass," Hussain was quoted as saying on commentary during Sky Sports' broadcast at the lunch break, with India's lead at 159 runs. Despite the ball moving around and some deliveries bouncing unpredictably, Rahul displayed restraint, enduring the challenging conditions while sharing an unbroken 61-run partnership with Rishabh Pant, who initially caused some chaos before settling down to 31 not out off 59 deliveries. 'Dinesh Karthik summed up this Rahul-Pant partnership pretty well when he said classical music from one end and hip-hop from the other. The hip-hop, Pant, has toned it down after a (frenzied) period. He had a word with himself and has got into his innings now. He has a relatively sensible head on, and Rahul has always had a sensible head on," added Hussain. Rahul also had a stroke of luck on 58 when Harry Brook dropped a catch at gully off Josh Tongue, prompting former pacer Stuart Broad to explain the numerous dropped catches in the ongoing game. Broad noted that Headingley is a challenging ground for fielding due to visibility issues, and even a momentary lapse in sight can lead to dropped catches. He also discussed potential strategies for England to dismiss a determined Rahul in the second session. 'I have more empathy for fielders dropping catches now that I am not playing and they are not coming off my bowling! Headingley is a difficult viewing ground – you can lose the ball in the stands, and when the clouds are in, certain bits are a bit darker. You only have to lose sight for 0.1 of a second, and you get tense." He admired Rahul's driving but appreciated the field settings used by Stokes, which left mid-off open and tempted Rahul to drive straighter. 'He has driven the ball so beautifully, but last night I really enjoyed the field Stokes operated with by leaving mid-off completely open. He had a square extra cover and tempted Rahul to drive straighter." 'England have the option of going short to him for some time, like India did to Jamie Smith. Maybe that gets him out of his comfort zone and his shell, and he might make a mistake. I think England will be a little bit flat. It didn't quite happen for them." 'A few balls went up, but not in a particularly threatening way. Carse was superb, setting the tone in the first 45 minutes, but they probably needed two or three wickets to break the game open. India never got away, but England need to strike after lunch," he concluded. First Published:
News18
6 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Ex-ENG Captain Praises Bumrah, Says 'He Would Get Me Out 10 Times Out Of 10'
Last Updated: Nasser Hussain has reserved big praise for star Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is leading the bowling attack for Shubman Gill & Co. in the Leeds Test against England. Former England men's cricket team captain Nasser Hussain has reserved big praise for Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. According to Hussain, who has donned the hat of an expert and commentator after retirement from professional cricket, Bumrah is so good that if he had faced him then, he would have lost his wicket 10 times out of 10 against him. 'I would have had an absolute nightmare. Anyone that created that angle like he does would get me out for fun. He would get me out 10 times out of 10 in a five-match series. He is just brilliant, and I wasn't," Nasser said in a video shared by Sky Sports Cricket when asked, 'How would Nasser Hussain play Jasprit Bumrah?" — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 22, 2025 Nasser was one of the greatest English batters of all time. The Chennai-born cricketer played 96 Tests and 88 ODIs for Three Lions from October 1989 to May 2004 and scored over 8000 runs. He also served as England's captain in both the Test and ODI formats of the game. Bumrah's career in numbers Bumrah made his international debut for India against Australia during an ODI match played in Sydney in January 2016. Since then he has featured in 45 Tests, 89 ODIs, and 70 T20Is and has more than 400 wickets to his name. Bumrah played a big role in India's T20 World Cup title win last year, and for his super show with the ball, he won the Player of the Tournament award as well. He picked up 32 wickets for India in the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and bagged the ICC Cricketer and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year awards in 2024. Bumrah, who is the world's No. 1 Test bowler, is leading India's bowling attack in the ongoing first Test against England in Leeds, and on Sunday, June 22, he picked up a five-wicket haul. Bumrah finished England's first innings with figures of 4 for 83 in 24.4 overs. The five-wicket haul in the first innings helped him break multiple bowling records. He became the first Asian bowler to take 150 Test wickets in SENA countries and also equalled Kapil Dev's record of 12 five-wicket hauls for India in Tests played away from home. Bumrah now has 11 five-wicket hauls to his name in WTC, which is the joint-most by a bowler, and he also became the first Indian to take three five-wicket hauls in England. Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
