England’s Ben Duckett And Zak Crawley Are A Run-Scoring-Machine Against India

For the first time in four Tests India’s pace battery was dispersed with ease and purpose by the England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley who had an average of 45.38 against India with an opening stand aggregate of 726 in eight Tests going into Manchester. On the second day of the fourth Test they added 166 to take the tally to 892, a mere 41 runs adrift of an England record of 933 for the first wicket collection by Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss in 11 Tests at 46.65. It was the eighth highest century-plus first-wicket stand for England against India and Crawley (now 774 runs against India) and Duckett (now 726 runs against India) — after a lacklustre undertaking in the first three Tests at Leeds, Edgbaston and Lord’s — did enough damage, fed around the pads for easy pickings. Duckett scores at around 4.85 runs an over against India which is actually much lower than his career average of 5.17. And Crawley scores at around 3.6 an over against India which is lower than his career average of scoring at 3.9 an over. Duckett has two centuries against India, but Crawley, none. These two have been the most successful opening pair against India in the last decade and second for over four decades. The right-hander Crawley got going at Manchester after being troubled by India’s pace attack in the first three Tests. And after scoring 62 and 149 at Leeds, Duckett has been below par. But their big effort at the top of the order in the Manchester Test has put England in a strong position in the Test and thereby the series itself.