Jos Buttler pointed to Rohit Sharma’s belligerent century as proof England are on the suitable track with their approach despite a fourth successive ODI series defeat.
Rohit had averaged 10.37 in his previous 16 innings across formats but registered a surprising 119 off 90 balls in Cuttack to underpin India’s successful chase of 305 with 4 wickets and 33 balls to spare.
The India captain cashing in once he got in was a lesson to England, whose top six made scores between 26 and 69 but couldn’t shape the competition because the tourists slipped 2-0 down within the three-match series.
While their batters have been accused of being too reckless on a chastening tour, with England losing the T20s 4-1, Buttler believes Rohit’s thirty first ODI ton shows learn how to play a up to date ODI innings.
Jos Buttler
“Credit to Rohit Sharma, I believed he played a implausible knock, he’s been setting the usual in ODI cricket for some time and it was one other great innings here,” Buttler said.
“Any time you’re playing against great players they usually play an innings like that, I’m sure players on each side will likely be watching and learning.
“He went up and down the gears, absorbed pressure and put a variety of pressure back on. He really showed the fashionable way of playing 50-over cricket could be very dynamic, very aggressive.
“He scored at a rate that just confirms the best way we wish to play is the suitable way that you may have to play to attempt to win games of cricket.”
Improved Display
This was an improved England batting display from Thursday’s defeat in Nagpur with Ben Duckett getting the tourists off to a flyer, bludgeoning 10 fours in his 65. Joe Root added a typically busy 69 before the tourists collapsed from 248 for 4 within the forty third over to 304 all out with one ball unused.
India’s spinners took a combined 4 for 121 in 26 overs, compared with three for 181 from 23.5 off the pacers, with slow left-armer Ravindra Jadeja the pick of the attack with figures of 10-1-35-3.
Rohit then placed on 136 in 16.4 overs with Shubman Gill, who made 60, before happening to record his first century for India in 11 months and quieten concerns about his form heading into the Champions Trophy.
“He’s been an ideal player for such an extended time period and top players generally give you the products and he obviously did that,” Buttler added.
“I suppose sometimes it’s probably a pleasant reminder for you personally that if even Rohit Sharma can come under pressure with what a top player he’s, then perhaps we needs to be a bit easy on ourselves.”
Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse were nursing niggles so missed out on the Barabati Stadium, where there was a 40-minute delay during India’s innings attributable to a malfunction in certainly one of the eight floodlights.
Selection
The players briefly left the sector but Buttler confirmed there was never any threat of the ODI being abandoned, saying: “If it didn’t come back on, we’d have just played with it and stayed on.”
England appeared a spinner light after choosing Jamie Overton rather than the injured Jacob Bethell, bumping them as much as 4 fast bowlers, but Buttler admitted they were no less than 30 runs too light.
“We just needed one or two of us to kick on and play an actual innings of note and push our rating as much as 330-350 form of territory,” Buttler added.
“But there are some positives there, we’re making steps in the suitable direction but not the right complete performance with the bat.
“The cycle of the team, there’s a number of players who are only gaining experience and days like this are great lessons which is what you wish – you must speed up that learning and keep pushing the fellows in the suitable direction.”
READ MORE: Rohit Sharma hits hundred as India beat England in second ODI to secure series
