Former England captain Kevin Pietersen expressed his frustration regarding Ben Duckett's running between the wickets, which led to the run out of Phil Salt during the first ODI against India in Nagpur. Pietersen remarked that Salt's dismissal potentially cost England an additional 50 to 60 runs. The team, captained by Jos Buttler, was dismissed for 248 runs in 47.4 overs after choosing to bat first. Salt and Duckett provided a strong start, accumulating 73 runs in just 8.4 overs, with Salt particularly excelling as he scored 26 runs off debutant Harshit Rana in the sixth over. However, just as England appeared to be in a commanding position, they squandered a crucial wicket.

On the fifth ball of the ninth over, Salt positioned himself on the leg side to play a short delivery from Hardik Pandya, pushing the ball past the backward point fielder. The ball lacked the pace to reach the boundary, and Shreyas Iyer deserves credit for swiftly retrieving it and delivering an accurate throw. What should have been an easy three runs turned into a run out due to Duckett's inattentiveness.

Duckett started slowly and never seemed likely to make it back for the third run, while Salt was sprinting. There was a complete failure in communication between the two openers, and by the time Duckett raised his hand to signal Salt to return, it was far too late, as Salt had already covered more than half the pitch.

Iyer's throw was perfectly aimed at the stumps, requiring KL Rahul only to collect it cleanly and remove the bails, which he executed flawlessly. Salt was forced to make the long walk back after contributing 43 runs off 26 deliveries.

Pietersen remarked that Duckett was too casual in his approach. "If you observe Duckett's running, he was merely jogging and not sprinting at full capacity. He then further reduced his pace. He was not in sync with his partner and was only shouting. Salt was urging him to come. In reality, if Duckett had committed to a quicker pace and sprinted, it would have led to more decisive decision-making. However, his leisurely jog proved detrimental, costing England an additional 50-60 runs, especially after Salt's impressive fifty at Wankhede," he stated during the mid-innings analysis on Star Sports.

The former player asserted that three runs were certainly achievable. "Without a doubt, three runs were possible. If they weren't, there should have been clearer communication. The entire situation appeared overly relaxed."

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel emphasized that Salt and Duckett needed to improve their non-verbal communication. "In front of such a large crowd, you cannot afford to be solely focused on the ball. Relying only on verbal calls is insufficient; one must also pay attention to movements and gestures."

Expanding on Duckett's inadequate running between the wickets, Pietersen suggested that England's head coach, Brendon McCullum, should address this recurring issue with the left-hander, as it has been evident since the T20Is.

"If I were the coach of England, I wouldn't be furious, but I would certainly discuss with Ben Duckett. I noticed this pattern during the T20Is as well, and I would advise him, 'Listen, I need you to run significantly faster and be more decisive when running between the wickets'."

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