Ben Duckett does not care if England endure a series whitewash in India, so long as he and his teammates beat the same opponents in the final of the Champions Trophy.
England fell to their fourth consecutive one-day international series defeat on Sunday as India went 2-0 up with a four-wicket win in Cuttack, Rohit Sharma the headliner with a 90-ball 119. One match remains in Ahmedabad on Wednesday before the focus turns to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, with England’s campaign beginning against Australia on 22 February.
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“We have come here for one thing, and that is to win the Champions Trophy,” Duckett said. “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 hit a rapid 65 as England began brightly with the bat in the second ODI, but he perished in Ravindra Jadeja’s first over, a slog sweep finding a fielder in the deep. England did manage their way to a total beyond 300, but an innings of significance was lacking as Joe Root top-scored with 69.
Duckett said he is “not content with getting 60” but explained the aggression that led to his wicket, citing the backing of Brendon McCullum, the head coach. “You could knock it around for 15 overs and get myself a score,” Duckett said. “But it felt like he was the man I was going to take down to the short boundary. It didn’t come off.
“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.
“Baz will never have a go at me for trying to hit a left-arm spinner for six over mid-wicket with a shot I play time and time again. As long as we are sticking to the options we practise, sticking to our strengths, there will be no complaints inside that dressing room.”
