England opener Ben Duckett has said his side “should” beat India in the upcoming Test series between the two sides.
“India at home is very different to India away,” Duckett told in Mail Sport. “It’s a side I feel we should beat and we can beat. It’ll be a good series.”
India will be touring England for five Test matches in 2025. They last won a series in England in 2007. Since then, they have lost 0-4 in 2011, 1-3 in 2014, and 1-4 in 2018 before drawing 2-2 in the series split across 2021 and 2022.
Duckett also spoke about the challenge of facing Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming series: “I’ve faced him in a five-Test series before. I know what he’s going to do to me, and the good thing about that is I know what skills he has,” said Duckett.
“There’s going to be nothing that surprises me. It’s going to be challenging, and the red-ball skills of Mohammed Shami are just as threatening as Bumrah. But if I can get through that opening spell, I feel there are runs to be had.”
The two faced off previously in the winter of 2024/25. Bumrah was rested for a Test but had an exceptional series (19 wickets at 16.89), while among England cricketers, Duckett’s 343 runs (at 34.30) were only behind Zak Crawley’s 407. However, Bumrah dismissed Duckett only once (though the stumps went for a spectacular cartwheel) across the four Tests, that too after Duckett had already reached 47. In fact, Duckett made 63 runs against Bumrah off 94 balls for that one dismissal during the series.
On the other hand, Duckett has faced Shami only on his first tour of India, in 2016/17. He made only 18 runs in three innings – but never got out to Shami.
The first Test of the series will begin on June 20 at Headingley, with the final Test due to conclude in the first week of August.
