Ben Duckett said England captain Ben Stokes was in “beast mode” for the match against The Ashes and said the tourists were evolving from a “sometimes reckless” side in the past.
All-rounder Stokes has not played since the fourth Test against India in July due to a right shoulder problem, but is expected to be fit for the opening Ashes in Perth from November 21.
The 34-year-old took 20 wickets in five Tests this summer at an average of 24.05, and also took 100 wickets in this format for the first time in two years.
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Former England captain Michael Atherton analyzes Australia’s Ashes team and areas available to tourists
Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, opening pitcher Duckett said of Stokes:
“He ran for two hours, bowled twice and batted.
“The way he’s been training lately is something I’ve never seen before.
“He’s probably the most important guy in this team when he’s bowling, so we hope he stays healthy for all five Tests and bowls in all the Tests because he’s very important to us.”
Duckett: England wants to be more than just entertaining
After arriving in Australia, Western Australian newspapers slammed Stokes and Joe Root in an article, calling them “cocky grumblers” and the latter “average”, while England’s buzz-ball approach was also labeled as “careless slashing batting”.
Duckett admits England have been a bit too strong at times in the past, but feels they are becoming a more balanced team now.
He said, “There are moments (for me) as an opening batsman. It might be against Perth where you have five overs at the end of the day. I did it against India too and I’ll just get on with it. I don’t care how many runs I score. I just want to be there in the morning.”
You want to play against the best players, so you don’t want those players to miss a series like this. But on the flip side, I’m an opening batsman and he’s probably one of the best bowlers in the world. I hope it’s not too bad, but obviously the games he doesn’t play are an advantage for us.
Ben Duckett talks about Australia’s Pat Cummins missing first Test
“I think that’s where we’re going now, it’s not just the funny side, but also the reckless side at times.
“That’s something I’ve been frustrated with myself about in the past. You could have scored 80 out of 60 and looked great, but that’s not going to win you Test matches.
“It’s about seizing the moment and then starting the kick and getting the big score.
Will a little ‘baggage’ and Australian pitching help England?
England have lost 13 and drawn two of their 15 Tests in Australia since winning 3-1 there in the 2010/11 season.
Only five of this year’s 16-player squad – Stokes, Root, Mark Wood, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley – have played a Test in Australia before, and Duckett feels that could give the away side an advantage.
You know how difficult it is for touring teams that come here. I don’t expect anything or set goals for myself. I know I will be batting first against probably the best bowling attack in the world in home conditions.
ben duckett
He added: “We’ve got a pretty fresh group here that doesn’t have a lot of baggage, so I think that’s going to help.”
England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick also believes the nature of Australia’s pitches will help the tourists, saying: “The style of cricket we play is trying to put pressure on the bowlers.
“Playing on a bouncy pitch where the ball gets on the bat well is something we always talk about coming home. It suits our style of play and we’re happy with it.”
“Australian pitches have evolved and maybe a little more for the bowlers, but you’ll still expect them to be fast and bouncy.
“We’re pretty confident in our team and what we have to pitch in Australia. We’re coming here with a team that we’re very happy with and preparation in terms of what we have.”
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England batting coach Marcus Trescothick shares his thoughts on his team’s preparation for the Ashes
Ashes Series in Australia 2025-26
always UK and Ireland
First Test: Friday 21st November – Tuesday 25th November (2.30am) – Optus Stadium, Perth Second Test (day/night): Thursday 4th December – Monday 8th December (4.30am) – The Gabba, Brisbane Third Test: Wednesday 17th December – Sunday 21st December (12am) – Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: Thursday 25th December – Monday 29th December (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground Fifth Test: Sunday 4th January – Thursday 8th January (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground
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Steve Smith made a huge mistake when leading NSW for the first time in eight years with the coin toss…Video credit: @cricketcomau
