England’s aggressive batting approach faced criticism as India’s bowlers shine on Day 3 of the Rajkot Test match. Despite Ben Duckett’s century, India’s Mohammed Siraj and others led a strong comeback, leaving England trailing by 322 runs with eight wickets down.
Duckett defended England’s strategy, attributing their struggles to India’s impressive performance. He emphasized the need to credit India for their well-executed plans. However, he also defended Joe Root’s shot selection, highlighting the success of his unconventional shots in the past.
“It was one of those days when I feel we have to give credit to India. This morning they were very good and they didn’t make it easy to score. It felt like their plans were a lot better than maybe last night and unfortunately we just kept on losing wickets at the wrong times,” observed Duckett, speaking at the press conference at the end Day 3. “Then with the ball I didn’t think we bowled badly at all and Jaiswal has played another incredible innings there. He looks an amazing player. And it’s just one of those days. We’ll come back tomorrow and give it our best.”
While acknowledging India’s dominance, Duckett remained optimistic, stating England’s commitment to their positive brand of cricket. He praised Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive batting style, suggesting it mirrored England’s approach.
With the Test finely poised, England faces an uphill battle to stage a comeback in the remaining days of the match.