The thrilling century included a key duel with Ashwin, who tormented him during the 2016 tour.
After India were dismissed for 445, attention turned to which England batsman would become R Ashwin's 500th victim. This was the main focus for most of the spectators present.
Ashwin had given everyone 10 days' notice after finishing the second Test in Visakhapatnam with 499 wickets. Rajkot hosted the milestone event, with sufficient time for invitations to be sent out, RSVPs to be received, decorations to be arranged, and caterers to be hired. With everything in place, the only thing left was the 'batter reveal' - who would be the unlucky No. 500? And how could you overlook the fact that Ashwin had dismissed the same person five times in seven innings, and twice already in this series?
But three hours later, Ashwin followed that same man - Ben Duckett - out on day two. Ashwin had indeed taken that one precious wicket, Zak Crawley, albeit conceding 37 runs in seven overs. Meanwhile, Duckett had 133 runs from just 118 balls. Although Ashwin was the star of the show, Duckett had also made a significant contribution.
Rohit Sharma made an oversight by only bringing Ashwin on to bowl against Duckett when the opener had scored 55. This decision was not only questionable due to recent events but also because of their history dating back to England's 2016-17 tour.
Duckett has come to terms with his previous experience of averaging six from three innings seven years ago. This time around, he arrived with a phlegmatic perspective that Ashwin would get him out a few more times. But he is now better equipped to fight back.
The story between the two players involved 28 runs scored off 27 balls. Duckett hit four boundaries against Ashwin, the first of which was a good-length delivery turning into middle and off, swept way in front of square, with the front pad comfortably outside leg. Arguably the shot of the day was the next boundary: Duckett pushed onto the back foot and played a turning delivery off the surface, threading it through wide mid-on. It was the kind of ball he would have feared to play back in 2016.
The turning point came when Ashwin's penultimate over was hit for 13 runs. Duckett hit a six over cow corner and followed it up with a four through the same region. Ashwin then adjusted his fielding position by moving the man from point to plug the gap.
Duckett flicked a flatter, straighter ball around the corner to reach 92. Ashwin was substituted during the evening session drinks break and was eventually reintroduced for the final over of the day. He believed he had his man out leg before wicket three deliveries from the end, but the Decision Review System confirmed that the ball had pitched outside the leg stump.
Demons like Ashwin are difficult to overcome, especially when he is an off-spinner who has statistically dismissed left-handers the most in history (249 of his 500 dismissals). This is simply my nature. However, winning against him, even for a day, is the next best option.
Certainly, Duckett would have felt a sense of liberation if he had scored his century off Ashwin. He sent him to fetch the magnificent on-drive off Mohammad Siraj. It took him only 88 deliveries to reach his third Test hundred. Duckett noticed and fist-pumped as soon as he realised it was on its way to the sponge. He looked to the heavens before saluting a dressing-room chuffed that one who plays so selflessly was getting his moment in the sun.
It is crucial to note that this was not just a battle between Duckett and Ashwin, but rather between Duckett and India, the situation, perception, and the past.
Despite a massive first innings deficit casting a long shadow over England, Duckett's contribution - accounting for over 64% of their overnight total of 207 for 2 - has provided a glimmer of hope, with England now trailing by only 238 going into day three. India's 119 runs, ground out over 44.5 overs this morning, were matched by Duckett alone in just 99 balls.
During a six-over mini-session before tea, there were four boundaries but also five plays-and-misses, three of which came in a single over against Siraj. In any other team, a stern word might have been expected at the break, given what followed. However, the only message Bazball's most natural disciple was ever going to get was: 'Keep doing you'.
He played exceptionally well. Whether hitting a top-spin forehand shot through cover from a tight fourth-stump line, or scoring 40 of England's fifty runs as early as 8.4 overs by sweeping and reverse-sweeping Kuldeep Yadav, or punching a full ball outside off from Jasprit Bumrah inside mid-on for his 19th boundary to reach 97, Duckett was in top form.
Even Rohit Sharma smiled when Duckett switched hands and hit Ravindra Jadeja over the fence at point for his 23rd and final boundary of day two. It is important to note that despite the flurry of wrists and forearms, the batsman displayed remarkable control.
Duckett's record under Ben Stokes currently stands at an impressive 1,260 runs, averaging 54.78 and scored at a strike rate of 92.24. He recently scored the third fastest recorded Test century by a visiting batter in India, after a run of six starts between 20 and 48. Only Adam Gilchrist (84) and Clive Lloyd (85) managed quicker.
Six years before being recalled to the Test side for last winter's tour of Pakistan, Duckett believed he was incapable of achieving this. In 2018, he underwent a hand operation before returning to Northamptonshire four weeks ahead of schedule, which almost irreparably altered his batting grip. Eventually, his Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores and assistant Ant Botha helped him remedy the issue during the 2020-21 winter. By then, he believed he was no longer in the England loop.
His reputation as unprofessional grew due to his tendency to enjoy himself, which was not helped by a couple of notable missteps. In India, he accidentally vomited on Trevor Bayliss while hungover on a plane. During the Lions tour that ran parallel to the 2017/18 Ashes, he missed a tour match after pouring a drink over James Anderson. Although not ideal (and in his defence, he did not initiate the former or the latter), it appears that his mistakes, which are common among young adults, have permanently marked his record.
What we have witnessed in the past 15 months, particularly on the second day in Rajkot, is not just maturity but also a player who has developed while maintaining his youthful flair. This is an impressive combination that cannot be achieved or sustained by chance. The capacity to continue hitting boundaries for 35 overs after spending 130.5 in the dirt, during which he frequently discussed tactics with Stokes, was a remarkable blend of attacking zeal and aerobic fitness. Currently, Duckett has been on the field throughout the first two days of this Test.
If he maintains this streak until tea, England may expect to take the lead. Despite Joe Root's slump at the other end, and with Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes to follow, Duckett's continued success is England's best chance of securing a win. Few could have produced an innings like this. Fewer still have the capacity to repeat it on day three and turn it into a once-in-a-lifetime event.