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"England's Answer To Sehwag": David Lloyd Makes Big Claim After Ben Duckett’s Headingley Heroics

Jatin

Ben Duckett and Virender Sehwag [Source: @VikasYadav69014, @CricTalk29/x.com]Ben Duckett and Virender Sehwag [Source: @VikasYadav69014, @CricTalk29/x.com]

Every once in a while, you see an innings so audacious, so full of swagger, it leaves the cricket world buzzing. That is exactly what Ben Duckett did at Headingley.

Chasing a massive 371, he took the game by the scruff of its neck and smacked a sublime 149 to script a Test match win for the ages. The reverse sweep? The paddle? The cheeky dab? You name it, he played it. With the bat in his hands, Duckett painted Headingley with strokes that screamed confidence.

David Lloyd Compares Ben Duckett To Virender Sehwag

When you have got a former cricketer like David Lloyd comparing you to Virender Sehwag, you know you have arrived. In his Daily Mail column, Lloyd didn’t hold back:

“Ben Duckett has come a long way since he poured a drink over Jimmy Anderson on an Ashes tour. He is now England’s answer to Virender Sehwag and opening the batting in your World XI.”

Lloyd also couldn’t help but gush over Ben Duckett’s signature shot: the reverse sweep.

“The reverse sweep is such a natural shot for him. He plays it for fun. It’s no surprise to learn he was a good hockey player at school because it’s like a hockey shot.”

Turns out, Duckett didn’t just pick up the reverse sweep out of nowhere. His school coach James Knott had once spilled the beans to The Indian Express:

“Ben played hockey and rugby, as well as cricket from a young age... In hockey, he was a great exponent of reverse hitting the ball and could already play the reverse sweep and switch hit when he arrived at Stowe. We worked more on the orthodox sweep and the paddle sweep which he didn’t play as much”

While most kids were struggling to time a cover drive, young Duckett was already dishing out switch-hits like a pro.

Nervous Till 30, Then It’s Carnage

Duckett’s mom, Jayne, knows her son better than any stat sheet ever could.

“He is very nervous until he has 30 runs,” she told The Times.

But once he has crossed that mark, it’s like a switch flips. The shots start flowing, the shoulders relax and the bowlers start sweating.

Jayne also recalled a sweet (and savage) moment in the stands during a T20 game:

“In one T20 match a guy behind me said, ‘He’s not going to last long — he will be out to one of his reverse-sweeps.’ I turned around and told him that’s my son he was talking.”

From Beer Spills To Boundary Drills

Duckett had made headlines for the wrong reasons on an Ashes 2017-18 tour after allegedly pouring a drink over James Anderson. That’s in the rear-view mirror now. The lad has done a full 180 and is now busy scoring match-winning tons, earning praise from pundits and melting hearts with his bold brand of cricket.

He didn’t just help England pull off a sensational chase; he made it look easy. With his Sehwag-esque shot-making and nerves of steel, Ben Duckett has put the cricketing world on notice. And if this is just the beginning, the cricketing community better buckle up. Because Duckett is here to dominate.