With just a half-century to boast about in 13 earlier innings, Jos Buttler feared he might be playing his last Test in the match against Pakistan. But, the wicketkeeper-batsman laid those doubts to rest with a crucial knock under pressure to guide England to a memorable win.
Jos Buttler ended his poor run of form with a great knock
Manchester:
Buttler, who made 75 and shared a century stand with Chris Woakes (84 not out) to help England win the first Test by three wickets on Saturday, had been struggling with the bat for quite some time. Lapses with the gloves at Old Trafford only added to the scrutiny around him, with critics calling for his head.
“At times, there have been some lonely nights thinking about it. Thoughts go through your head definitely. ‘Potentially, if I don’t score any runs, I have played my last game’ - those are the kind of things that are in your head,” said Buttler.
“I am aware I didn’t keep well; I missed some chances and at this level you, you can’t afford to do that no matter how many runs you score. You have got to be better, I know that,” he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. Buttler said he kept believing in himself and was pleased to have made a contribution to the team’s cause.
“But, you have got to shut such thoughts out and play the situation. I am pleased that I was able to do that,” added Buttler. Meanwhile, England will miss the services of Ben Stokes for the remainder of the series as he will be away from duty because of family reasons.
We let England off the hook: Pakistan coach Misbah
Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq was not happy with his side’s below-par batting effort in the first Test against England, but what was more disappointing to him was how the visitor let the host off the hook during its run chase.
Chasing 277, England lost five wickets for 117 runs, but Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes put the home side ahead with a great stand. “We are disappointed that we let England off the hook. The way Buttler and Woakes counter-attacked our bowlers was very skilful,” said Misbah.
“We could have done better with the bat in the second innings. It would have been a different scenario if the target was above 300. It is important to put on a decent score against England’s quality bowling attack in its own conditions.”