First ton Butt it's in vain
Buttler saves face
JOS BUTTLER’S first Test century helped England save some face
– but his effort will not prove enough to halt an inevitable defeat against India today.
England closed on 311-9 to take the third Test in Nottingham into a last day.
Buttler combined with Ben Stokes in a fifth-wicket stand of 169 which allowed England to defy the tourists a little longer from making it 2-1 in the five-match series.
Chasing a world record 521, the pair appeared to face a near impossible task when they joined forces shortly before lunch.
But they held up India, with Buttler going on to rack up a maiden ton in his 38th Test innings.
He said: “That was really satisfying, but it has been a long time coming. A few months ago it was a million miles away. It was a huge moment for me.
“To prove you can do it, that’s a huge part of the feeling of it. I was never sure if I’d ever play Test cricket again. A hundred in any red-ball game – and my first for five years – is a big moment and definitely my proudest moment in an England shirt.”
The last-wicket pairing of Adil Rashid and Jimmy Anderson frustrated India but Virat Kohli’s men will expect to return to polish up the hosts early this morning.
Buttler added: “It was very important for us to turn up and show a lot of character and fight and not give it to India easily. We did it really well, even the two guys at the end.”
THE only victory available to Joe Root’s men was ever likely to be a moral one after tossing away this Test with the bat.
They were always heading to defeat yesterday and barring a change in the weather forecast of cloud but no rain, the teams will travel to Southampton next week for the fourth Test with England’s series lead narrowed to 2-1.
Momentum will be India’s yet this was not the flattening threatened when England slumped to 62-4 and that was thanks to Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.
They had been brought together with England’s innings in danger of collapse after India hit them hard in the first session. Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings, the two under pressure openers, had wilted early.
Jennings was plucked out easily with the fifth ball of the day and the former captain joined him back in the pavilion two overs later.
Jennings faces being axed once again but Cook’s declining figures are the greater worry. Root and Ollie Pope were also caught in the slips to shots they should not have played at. But from there, Buttler – who got lucky when on one he was dropped by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant – and Stokes played with restraint and character.
Buttler’s maiden Test hundred came with the 21st four of his innings, equalling the most boundary-heavy century in England history.
A second new ball in the hands of Jasprit Bumrah dislodged Buttler with a delivery darting back at his pad as he offered no stroke.
Teetering
He repeated the feat next ball to flatten Jonny Bairstow’s off stump and then bounced Chris Woakes out again cheaply.
Hardik Pandya found the edge of Stokes’ bat to leave England teetering. Adil Rashid rode his luck after India managed only one of the two wickets they still needed in the extra half hour.
Rashid was on his way back for a single when he was caught in the slips, only for Jasprit to be called for a no-ball.
The leg-spinner was then dropped in the cordon by Virat Kohli on 20.
Although Stuart Broad gave India’s slip cordon more catching practise, Rashid and Jimmy Anderson kept the game alive for another day. STUART BROAD has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee by the ICC and handed a demerit point following “aggressive language” aimed at Rishabh Pant following his first-innings dismissal.