IND vs ENG 2024: Back your words with action – Geoffrey Boycott message to England’s players

‘Action speak louder than words’ is a famous adage and former England batter Geoffrey Boycott wants the Ben Stokes-led team to stick with it. England was given a huge hammering of 434 runs by India as the hosts registered their biggest Test victory in terms of runs at the Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium, Rajkot.

England opener Ben Duckett had earlier said they deserve credit as the opposition batters are playing aggressively.

“When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they’re playing differently than how other people play Test cricket,” Duckett told the media during a press conference in Rajkot.

However, the statement didn’t go well with Boycott as he added that England must focus on winning matches rather than making unnecessary statements.

“England’s players can talk all they want about being entertainers, but winning is better. So much guff comes out of their dressing room about attacking bowlers, imposing themselves on whatever the situation is and that they will chase any target,” Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“Ben Duckett was full of himself after his wonderful innings of 153 saying ‘the more runs we have to chase the better’. After their second innings collapse and massive defeat, his comments should embarrass him. If you are going to boast, be outrageously cocky, even arrogant, then you have to back it up with deeds, not words,” Boycott added.

On the other hand, former England captain Nasser Hussain also lashed out at Ben Duckett over his comments on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive batting style, stating he has not learnt from you but his hard upbringing.

India and England will next take on each other at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi in the fourth Test match from Friday.