Buttler keen for second chance to captain country

Jos Buttler will relish the challenge if he is asked to lead England again as they bid for a series-clinching victory over Australia at Trent Bridge.

Buttler stepped in successfully at the last minute to deputise for Eoin Morgan after a back spasm ruled England’s white-ball captain out of the second one-day international in Cardiff on Saturday.

An update on Morgan’s fitness, along with that of Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, is expected today.

The two key all-rounders were ruled out of the first part of the ongoing five-match series with leg injuries, and the indications so far are that Woakes’ thigh problem is likely to keep him out for significantly longer than Stokes’ torn hamstring.

Without all three players, however, England proved good enough under Buttler’s captaincy to take a 2-0 lead with a 38-run victory in the weekend run-fest at Sophia Gardens.

If it falls to the wicketkeeper-batsman to take the reins again, he will be ready as England target an unassailable 3-0 advantage in tomorrow’s daynight match in Nottingham.

After he had hit an unbeaten 91 in a total of 342 for eight which also featured a century from opener Jason Roy, Buttler had two more critical roles to play as he directed England in the field from behind the stumps. “I enjoyed it,” he said. “It’s a bit more stressful going through lots of decisions, (and) the buck stops with you.

“As vice-captain you can suggest a few (ideas), and hide behind that.”