Ben Duckett Takes a Bold Dig at Bumrah-Shami Duo Ahead of England-India Test Series

After the Champions Trophy triumph under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching, India now faces a crucial challenge with a five-match Test series in England starting June 20, 2025, marking the beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. England opener Ben Duckett has expressed confidence ahead of the series, claiming his team has the edge at home.

Historically, India has struggled in England, winning only 3 out of 19 Test series since 1932, with their last victory in 2007. The 2021 series saw India leading 2-1 before the final Test was postponed due to COVID-19 and later lost in 2022. Duckett, reflecting on past encounters, said he is no longer surprised by Jasprit Bumrah’s skills, having faced him in the 2024 Test series in India. Bumrah took 19 wickets at an average of 16.89, but Duckett was dismissed by him only once after scoring 47. He said:

Playing India at home presents a completely different challenge than facing them away. I believe we have what it takes to beat them, and I’m confident in our chances. It is going to be an exciting series. I’ve faced him in a five-Test series before, so I know what to expect from him. The benefit of that is being aware of his skills and tactics. Nothing will catch me off guard. While facing bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Bumrah is always tough, if I can get past that initial phase, I’m confident there are opportunities to score runs. Nothing is going to catch me off guard.

Duckett also managed 63 runs off Bumrah in that series and finished as England’s second-highest run-scorer with 343 runs, behind Zak Crawley’s 407. Against Mohammed Shami, Duckett faced challenges in the 2016-17 series, scoring just 18 runs without getting out. Confident this time, Duckett believes if he survives the initial spells, he can score runs against India’s pace duo.