THE THIRD TEST

JOS BUTTLER completed his transformation from luxury player to dependable pillar to take England nearer a historic whitewash.

Only twice have they won all three Tests or more away from home – South Africa in 1895-96 and New Zealand in 1962-63.

Buttler believes finishing the job in Sri Lanka would be a huge feather in the cap for a team steadily reaching the same heights as the white-ball side on and off the field.

He said: “To win 3-0 would be a fantastic achievement. We spoke a lot in the build-up that it was the focus of the side and that it is not done very often and we’ve stuck to our task.

“It would be a great step forward if we manage it. I’m sure Sri Lanka were favourites pre-series, so it would be a great accolade.

“Everyone is pulling in the same direction and winning matches helps, so we’ve come here with confidence and tried to replicate that feeling from the one-day group, but that takes time.”

The Lamborghini batsman, who can go from 0-60 in the blink of an eye and destroy an attack in a few short overs, has become England’s dependable Land Rover.

Only Joe Root, in three more matches, has scored more than Buttler’s 760 runs in 2018 to make his red-ball promotion in May arguably the selection of the year.

Picked as a specialist No.7 to add stroke-making to England’s Test line-up, made possible by England’s enviable number of all-rounders, Buttler has become something far more valuable.

So it was no surprise to see him at the crease with England 39-4, scrambling for a defendable target then score his seventh 50-plus score of the year and put his team on course for 230 all out and an imposing lead of 326.

“It’s been a good year considering I didn’t have Test cricket on my radar at the start of it,” added Buttler. “I’ve felt in good touch all year. I’ve enjoyed playing Test-match cricket again and been pleased with the way I adapted.

“A lot of people in my career said, ‘Why don’t you bat like you do in one-day cricket?’ I’ve never seen it like that.

“If it was possible then more people would have done it, but there’s a lot of hard work that goes into it and I don’t think you can play like that all the time. I look at the scoreboard and try to play accordingly and trust my defence more than I did in years gone by.”

He added 89 along with Ben Stokes and took the game steadily away from Sri Lanka, even if the Durham man was fortunate to receive two lives.

Left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan was the bowler both times as Stokes drove to cover and was caught at slip only to be called back due to a no-ball.

According to TV replays, they were two of 13 no-balls he bowled in a five-over spell with Sundaram Ravi failing to call any of them on a day he and fellow umpire Chris Gaffaney will want to forget.

Ben Foakes continued his outstanding debut series with 36 not out to make him England’s highest run scorer in Sri Lanka before four home wickets fell by the close.