Timely boost for captain Buttler as cavalry arrives for ODIs

EnGLanD today welcome back the three players who did more than anyone to transform their Test cricket for an attempt to help Jos Buttler recover from a mixed start as white-ball captain. Ben Stokes, Joe root and Jonny Bairstow all return for the first 50-over international against india at the kia Oval in the unaccustomed position of needing to bring a bit of red-ball positivity to a white-ball side largely out-gunned in the 2-1 Twenty20 series defeat. ‘They’ll bring some energy into the group and they’re really excited to be here,’ said new white-ball coach Matthew Mott, tasting defeat for the first time in a series as England coach. ‘i don’t think they’ll have to change a hell of a lot from the way they’ve been playing but it is a slightly different format. They come in pretty hot.’ That is an understatement after the last extraordinary month of Test cricket, with the trio representing the cavalry for new white-ball captain Buttler who saw England beaten at their own game by india, at least in the first two T20 games. Such is the upside down nature of England’s cricket this season that Mott admitted after Sunday’s consolation T20 win at Trent Bridge that the side known for setting dynamic standards under Eoin Morgan were taken aback by india’s ‘ferocity’. Buttler, with very big shoes to fill as Morgan’s successor in a T20 World Cup year, asked his batters to be ‘braver’ in the third game, which England won by 17 runs in nottingham after taking the unusual step of batting first. ‘We learned a lot of lessons in the first two games,’ said Mott. ‘after the second loss Jos spoke exceptionally well about these being times when you learn most about character. We just talked about being braver because if anything we could have been accused of being a bit timid with the bat.’ Buttler’s position will inevitably come under scrutiny even though he has long been the obvious choice as Morgan’s successor. in particular, his three-pronged role as captain, opener in T20 cricket and keeper will face fierce examination in the build-up to October’s World Cup in australia. after an outstanding iPL, he had a quiet series with the bat against india. ‘Whenever you take over a team who have had such a dominant leader for so long it’s a real feeling-out process where you’re working out how you do stuff,’ added Mott. ‘i’ve been really impressed with how Jos has done that and more impressed that he hasn’t actually scored runs but still led well. That shows a lot about his character.’ Play starts: 1pm. LIVE on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.30pm.

Sri Lanka enjoyed one of their great victories when they defeated australia by an innings and 39-runs in Galle to square the two-Test series yesterday.