Buttler buoyed by breakthrough series
JOS BUTTLER wants to draw on the confidence gained during his breakthrough Test summer as England prepare for a tricky two-match series against Sri Lanka at Galle.
It is five months now since, by his own admission, he saved his Test career with a match-winning 75 in partnership with Chris Woakes against Pakistan at Old Trafford. A fortnight later, he compiled a classy career-best 152 at the Ageas Bowl to help seal the series.
Now he needs to reset his game in very different conditions, and get ready for long spells of wicketkeeping up to the stumps as the spinners bowl the lion’s share of overs in draining heat and humidity.
‘ The summer gave me a lot of confidence, and hopefully I can still ride off the back of that, even though it’s a long time ago,’ said Buttler. ‘But it’s nice to be in the position where I finished the summer strongly.
‘ Coming from home and indoor schools to 30-degree heat which feels a lot hotter, and playing long days of cricket, is going to be tough physically. We have to be ready for that. During Friday’s practice game, we had 50 overs in the field, and I drank three litres and still lost one or two kgs. You need to keep drinking.’
Despite his runs and dressing-room popularity, Buttler will inevitably face scrutiny behind the stumps because Surrey’s Ben Foakes — player of the series when England won 3-0 in Sri Lanka in late 2018 — is on tour too, and expected to play in two of the four Tests in India starting next month as the selectors rest and rotate. An all- format player who needs looking after more than most, Buttler is unfazed by the prospect.
‘I’ve watched Ben practise, and he’s impressive,’ he said. ‘It’s fantastic to see how good he is.’
The tourists left Hambantota for Ga l l e earlier than scheduled yesterday after the second day of their intra-squad match was washed out, and were boosted by the return to their biosecure bubble of Woakes.
He had been self- isolating as a precaution after coming into close contact with Moeen Ali, who will remain in isolation until Wednesday after testing positive for Covid-19.