Ben Duckett slams his 2nd Test fifty: Key stats
England opener Ben Duckett has backed his hundred in the opening Test against Pakistan with a fiery half-century. The southpaw scored 63 off just 49 deliveries, a knock laced with nine boundaries and a maximum. It was Duckett's only second fifty in the format. He seems to be emerging as a vital cog of England's newly-evolved aggressive Test batting line-up. Here are his stats.
Why does this story matter?
England won the toss and elected to bat first at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. While opener Zak Crawley was struggling to get going against the new cherry, Duckett was scoring runs for fun. The duo added 38 runs before Crawley (19) departed. Duckett carried on and brought a fine fifty off just 40 deliveries. He eventually fell prey to debutant Abrar Ahmed.
A look at his Test career
Duckett now has 280 runs from six Tests at an average of 28. The tally includes one century and two half-centuries. Before this series, Duckett played his last Test in 2016 (against India). He was dropped in 2017 during the Ashes after pouring a drink over James Anderson. Duckett has finally justified his selection with some incredible performances.
Sensational run in 2022
Duckett has been on a roll in red-ball cricket. The Nottinghamshire batter notched 1,012 runs in just 10 games in this year's County Championship. Both his average and strike rate were over 70. The tally includes five fifties and three hundreds (Best score: 241)
Five-for on debut for Abrar Ahmed
Meanwhile, leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has taken a five-wicket haul on debut. In fact, the first five wickets fallen on Day 1 belong to Abrar. Thanks to his brilliance, the Brits were reduced to 167/5. Notably, England won the opening Test by 74 runs and a win in Multan would seal the deal for them. However, they haven't gotten off to a desirable start.
England eyeing their third Test series win on Pakistan soil
Pakistan have previously hosted England in eight Test series. While Pakistan clinched the series three times, the Brits emerged winners twice. Three series resulted in a draw. Hence, England are fighting for their third series win in the Asian nation.
