Ben Duckett insisted England had no regrets about their aggressive game-plan after the opener was considered one of a number of batsman to fall into Australia’s short-ball lure on a dramatic day at Lord’s.
In reply to Australia’s first-innings complete of 416, England had seized again the momentum as they raced to 188-1 throughout Thursday’s second day of the second Test.
But Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root all perished taking part in needlessly attacking hook photographs in response to a barrage of Australia bouncers.
That lowered England to 222-4 earlier than captain Ben Stokes restored order with a barely extra cautious strategy alongside Harry Brook because the hosts reached 278-4 by the shut of play.
Despite handing Australia a lifeline, Duckett was adamant there can be no recriminations within the England dressing room.
“I don’t regret it at all. I would have been gutted with myself if I had gone into my shell and gloved one to the keeper,” Duckett mentioned after he was caught within the deep for 98 by David Warner.
“Ten metres either side of him I would have got a hundred. I’m not happy I got out but I’d rather get out like that.
“There wasn’t really any discussion. No one in that dressing room will be disappointed with how Pope got out. They will be gutted it didn’t go for six.
“Pope said ‘I’m going to smack it into the stands’ and I said ‘do it’. He was so unlucky to get a toe end on it.
“It’s the way we play our cricket. If we went into our shells and got bombed out it would be totally against the way we play.”
With the match evenly poised, play will resume right now at 8pm AEST.
Follow all of the motion in our stay protection beneath.
Originally revealed as Ashes 2023: Follow all of the motion from day three at Lord’s as Australia takes on England
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
