Following England's impressive victory over India in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, former England fast bowler Steve Harmison has delivered a scathing critique of the Indian bowling attack, particularly their approach to Ben Duckett. Duckett's remarkable innings of 149 off 170 balls was instrumental in England chasing down a target of 371, leading Harmison to question India's belief in their ability to dismiss the in-form opener.
Harmison, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, suggested that India lacked a clear plan and the necessary conviction to trouble Duckett. "Ben Duckett played wonderfully well. He believed he was going to play a match-winning knock," Harmison stated, highlighting Duckett's positive intent and confidence. In contrast, he added, "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."
The former England pacer elaborated on India's shortcomings, pointing out their inability to stem Duckett's scoring and prevent easy singles. According to Harmison, India "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." This lack of a cohesive strategy and inability to build pressure allowed Duckett to dominate the innings.
Harmison's analysis suggests a deeper issue than just poor execution. He implies that India's mindset might have been a contributing factor. The doubt, whether conscious or subconscious, in their ability to dismiss Duckett could have translated into a less aggressive and less effective bowling performance. Duckett himself acknowledged the importance of his partnership with Zak Crawley, stating, "In that period [first session], it was really important that Zak and I got through without losing any wickets. It was pretty clear to us this morning. If we batted for the whole day [at the tempo that] we normally do, we'd probably get the total, so we didn't overthink anything."
The absence of a clear strategy to contain Duckett, coupled with the failure to restrict easy runs, allowed England to maintain control of the chase. While individual bowlers may have delivered decent balls, the overall approach lacked the sharpness and intensity required to unsettle a confident batsman like Duckett. India will need to address these issues and develop a more robust and proactive bowling strategy if they are to bounce back in the series.
