Buttler: We’re still a good team despite loss

JOS Buttler insists England’s ODI side have not lost their golden touch after Sam Curran’s heroics narrowly failed to salvage a morale-boosting win in India.

The world champions lost 2-1 at home to Australia at the end of last summer and have now lost by the same scoreline in India after Curran’s career-best 95 not out was not enough to prevent a seven-run defeat in the decider.

England came up short against a target of 330 as the ODI leg of the tour went the same way as the T20 and Test series.

The XI was missing its captain Eoin Morgan, on the injured list alongside Jofra Archer, while Joe Root and Chris Woakes were also rested, allowing stand-in skipper Buttler to put the setback in perspective.

“We’ve been a brilliant side for a long time now, I wouldn’t read too much into it,” said the Lancashire wicketkeeper.

“We’ve lost two series now but it’s two series in the last 11. We are still a very good side and we’re expanding the talent pool with a few guys missing and few other guys getting opportunities. It’s a long cycle looking ahead to the next World Cup (in 2023) and of course you want to learn and win at the same time. We’re disappointed when we don’t do that but there’s a big picture. I think we’re doing things right.

“We play the game to win matches and win series and we haven’t quite managed to do that, but there will be some great learning taken from the tour and some great exposure for players in this part of the world.”

Nobody will have learned more than Curran, who arrived with 162 still needed and left his side just a couple of boundaries shy of victory.

“It took a fantastic effort from Sam to take us as close as we got, it was out- standing,” said Buttler.