Jos Buttler scored 58 not out in an unbeaten stand of 90 with Harry Brook
Jos Buttler says he was getting “fed up” with his form and that it was “time to put in a performance” for England.
It was his first one-day international half-century since September after a poor World Cup where he managed 138 runs in nine innings as England exited at the group stage.
“I’ve been searching for form,” Buttler said, after the series-levelling win.
“I have had moments where it has been frustrating.
“I was getting fed up with it so it was time to put in a performance and get back to the player that I know I am.”
Buttler took over the white-ball captaincy from World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan in 2022 and despite their recent 50-over struggles, he led England to a T20 World Cup victory in November of the same year.
He reached 5,000 ODI runs during his knock, taking him to fifth in the list of England’s all-time run-scorers in the format.
Buttler shared an unbroken stand of 90 for the fifth wicket with Harry Brook, who made 43, to steer England to victory.
And despite the batter’s recent struggles with both bat and captaincy, former England captain Sir Alastair Cook said the milestone was indicative of Buttler’s class.
“It shows his quality over a long period of time, and today he showed all that quality,” Cook told TNT Sports.
“Once he got past his first 10 balls, it was back to the Jos Buttler we know and love.
“He’s a guy who’s really responsible for a lot of England’s change in white-ball cricket, the way he goes about his batting.”
Aside from his own performance, Buttler praised all-rounder Sam Curran, who was named player of the match for his 3-33 to bounce back from figures of 0-98 in the series opener.
“He’s a brilliant character,” said Buttler. “He had a tough day the other day but he’s always up for the challenge and never shies away from it.
“He led from the front for us today which is just what we needed.”
The ODI series decider takes place in Barbados on Saturday, 9 December at 17:30 GMT.
2023-12-07 00:34:14
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