India and England will lock horns in the five-match Test series from June 20. Jaiswal and Rahul will most likely be India’s openers at least for the first Test. For England, Ben Duckett will be one of the openers alongside Zak Crawley in the whites.
India and England will renew their Test rivalry next month in the five-match series starting from June 20. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from the format, the focus is on India’s young brigade now, with Yashasvi Jaiswal being one of them. The left-hander plundered runs at will when England toured India last year. However, it will be a tough challenge for him to score runs away from home in swinging conditions in the UK. KL Rahul will assist him as an opener, and it will be important for them to complement each other well on the tour.
For England, Ben Duckett will be one of the openers, and Zak Crawley will partner him. The way England play in the longest format of the game, Duckett’s form will be crucial for the home team. His strike rate in the Test format is 86.78, which is astonishing, to say the least, and undoubtedly, his approach will not change in the upcoming series. In the lead-up to the five-match Test series, let us compare the stats of Jaiswal, Rahul and Duckett after 19 Test matches.
Jaiswal has so far played 19 Test matches in his career and has amassed 1798 runs at an impeccable average of 52.88. He has smacked four centuries and 10 fifties in his career, with his highest score being 214*. The southpaw last played Tests in Australia, where he scored a century in Perth. This is Jaiswal’s first tour to England, and he will be looking forward to performing well at the top of the order for India.
His opening partner, KL Rahul, enjoyed a great run on the previous tour to England. As far as his stats are concerned, Rahul played 19 Test matches of his career by 2017, having made his debut in the longest format in 2014. After 19 Tests, he had amassed 1342 runs at an average of 46.27 with four tons and nine fifties to his name. His highest score then was 199, also against England. Rahul’s form will be extremely crucial for the Indian team as he is amongst the most experienced players in the team after Rohit and Kohli’s retirement.
Jaiswal vs Rahul vs Duckett – Stats comparison after 19 Test matches
| Runs | Average | Highest Score | Strike Rate | 50s/100s | Ducks | |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 1798 | 52.88 | 214* | 65.66 | 10/4 | 3 |
| KL Rahul | 1342 | 46.27 | 199 | 57.25 | 9/4 | 1 |
| Ben Duckett | 1435 | 42.2 | 182 | 86.44 | 7/3 | 2 |
Interestingly, Ben Duckett fared better than Rahul, only just, after 19 Tests. The opening batter made his Test debut in 2016, but it took him eight more years to play a total of 19 Tests of his career. After being dropped from the Test team, he got a second opportunity in 2023 when Brendon McCullum was named the head coach of the England Test team. As for his stats after 19 Tests are concerned, Duckett scored 1435 runs at an average of 42.2 with three tons and seven fifties. 182 was his highest score then and will be expected to have a great series against India.
