Ben Duckett to open batting with Phil Salt in England’s first T20 in India

England are backing Ben Duckett to be their opener for all formats as the busy left-hander will accompany the brawny Phil Salt at the top of the order for Wednesday’s first T20 against India.

Duckett has been England’s tone-setter in Tests for the past couple of years and nailed down a spot in the ODI side with a series of eye-catching displays against Australia at the back end of last summer.

While he has a dozen T20 caps, Duckett has not opened in the format for England since his debut in 2019 but a vacancy has arisen with Jos Buttler staying at number three and Will Jacks out of the squad.

Duckett may lack explosiveness but shows intent through his canny 360-degree strokeplay and proficiency on the sweep, and the left-hander could be England’s answer to Australia’s David Warner going forwards.

“You look at someone in England cricket now who could open the innings in every format of the game, it’s credit to the way he’s played over the last few years and he fully deserves his chance.

“He’s got an excellent reputation against spin but he has even more options in the powerplay. With only two fielders out, he’s an incredibly tough guy to defend against with all the different areas that he can hit the ball.

“I think it’s something that’s going to really suit his game and we’re all really excited for it.”

With Buttler deciding to continue pulling the strings in the outfield after doing so against the West Indies before Christmas, Salt has edged out Jamie Smith for the wicketkeeper’s spot for England’s first T20 at Eden Gardens since their agonising defeat in the 2016 World Twenty20 final by the West Indies.

But the chance to work with former New Zealand captain McCullum, who has revolutionised England’s Test team, is one Buttler is relishing.

“I’ve been practising my smile in front of the mirror,” Buttler said, jokingly. “A few Christmas presents may have been sort of egged in that way, but I feel in a really good place. I’m excited.

“I was a Brendon McCullum fan as a player, and would have always loved to play with him. I have a lot of admiration for what he did with New Zealand.

“He’s really great mates with (former England captain) Eoin Morgan, who is one of my good friends, so I got to know him through him and through various franchise tournaments we were both in at the same time.

McCullum is looking to bring his philosophy, dubbed ‘Bazball’, to improve England’s ailing limited-overs sides and they will take the attack to India with four genuine quicks in Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson.

Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell will supplement front-line spinner Adil Rashid, while Harry Brook will act as Buttler’s deputy, having led England in a 3-2 ODI series defeat by Australia last year.

“He’s got all the attributes you need to be be a captain,” Buttler added of the Yorkshireman. “He’s someone I will lean on for advice on the field and get his point of view.

“Certainly the way Harry plays his cricket, watching him from the side captain against Australia, he was as positive a captain as I’ve ever seen.

“We want to be really watchable, really exciting and be an aggressive team that wants to take the game on.”