Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 13 (ANI): England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged his team’s shortcomings after they suffered a crushing 142-run defeat against India in the final ODI in Ahmedabad, and lost the series 3-0.
Despite showing promise in phases, England failed to sustain their performances against a dominant Indian side.
“Similar to the whole tour, we threatened in stages but were outplayed by a fantastic team. Our approach is the right one, it’s just that we haven’t executed well. We need to find ways to play that style better,” Buttler admitted after the loss, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
India set a formidable target, courtesy of a brilliant innings from Shubman Gill (112), making it an uphill task for the visitors. Reflecting on the chase, Buttler praised Gill’s performance while lamenting England’s inability to build on a solid start.
“They put a really good score on the board. Shubman played a great innings, we were going to have to play really well to chase that down. We got off to a great start again, but it’s a familiar story for us. We need to find a way to extend that, and bat for longer,” he said.
India’s all-round dominance throughout the series exposed England’s struggles, and Buttler acknowledged the challenge posed by the hosts.
“We were up against a really good side that keeps challenging us,” he concluded.
With this defeat, England’s woes in the limited-overs format continue, as they look for answers ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
With his 112-run knock, Gill fuelled India’s batting unit, with Virat Kohli (52) and Shreyas Iyer (78) playing the supporting role in the first innings. With their vibrant strokeplay, India ended the first innings with a total of 356.
In reply, England’s openers were quick off the blocks, but the floodgates opened after Arshdeep Singh removed Philip Salt and Ben Duckett. England’s intensity dropped, and the visitors eventually succumbed to a 142-run defeat. (ANI)
