Following Ben Duckett's impressive performance in the first Test against India at Headingley, former England captain Michael Vaughan has made a bold statement, hailing Duckett as the "best all-format batter in the world". Duckett's crucial innings of 149 in the second innings, along with his 62 in the first, helped England chase down a target of 371 to secure a five-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Vaughan, writing in his column for The Telegraph, argued that Duckett's ability to perform consistently across all three formats of the game (Test, ODI, and T20) sets him apart from other players. He acknowledged that while some players may excel in one particular format, Duckett's overall prowess and his position as an opener make him exceptional. Vaughan also lauded Duckett's fearless approach, citing his audacious reverse-sweep against Ravindra Jadeja on a challenging fifth-day pitch as evidence of his "genius". He also noted Duckett's calm demeanor, ability to read the ball, and clever tactics.

However, Vaughan's assessment has been met with some disagreement. Indian commentator Aakash Chopra has challenged Vaughan's claim, suggesting that Travis Head is a more deserving candidate. Chopra pointed out that Duckett is yet to play a Test match in Australia and his performances in India and South Africa were not particularly outstanding. He argued that Head has a proven track record of performing well in high-pressure situations, citing his contributions to the 2023 World Test Championship final and the 2023 ODI World Cup final.

Duckett himself has spoken about the team's belief in their ability to chase down targets, stating that the team displayed maturity and determination to win. After receiving the Player of the Match award, Duckett shared that the team was confident that they would get home if they batted through the day.

Despite the debate surrounding Vaughan's statement, Duckett's recent form has undoubtedly been impressive. His century in the fourth innings of the first Test made him the first England opener to achieve this feat in 15 years. The innings was instrumental in England's successful run chase, which was the 10th highest in Test cricket history.

Vaughan is also known for his banter with former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer on social media platform X. Following England's victory in the first Test, Vaughan cheekily poked Jaffer and predicted that England would win the series 4-0.