Jos Buttler, England skipper heaped praise on pacer Reece Topley after his impressive bowling spell against India on Thursday in the 2nd ODI at Lord’s. England captain Jos Buttler paid a glowing tribute to Reece Topley for his special outstanding performance against India during the second ODI on Thursday at Lord’s.
Jos Buttler Praised Reece Topley’s Incredibly Special Performance At Lord’s As He Took 6/24 To Set Up England Victory
The England captain said he was happy for him and said that Reece Topley brings in a lot of energy to the team. He also hailed the left-arm pacer’s second ODI heroics as ‘incredibly special.’
“Delighted for him. He’s a very popular member of the team and I’m delighted for him. He’s a very popular member of the team he brings a lot of energy to the group and you know, he’s had quite an interesting story. He came into the game very early with Essex and then had the back trouble and stuff. For him to come back from that and to take six for 24 at Lord’s is an incredibly special performance,” said Jos Buttler.
Jos Buttler also opened up on Reece Topley’s story and said that the 28-year-old has all the attributes to be a fantastic bowler on the international stage for England.
“It’s a tribute to his perseverance and his outlook on life and the game. He’s had really tough experiences, not knowing if he would play again, and that’s given him a real sense of perspective and a real enjoyment when he’s playing.
“He’s got all the attributes to be a fantastic international bowler and I’m delighted for him to get those results today,” said Jos Buttler.
Reece Topley, who was rightfully named Man of the Match, became only the 2nd England bowler to pick up a 6-wicket haul in ODIs. Chasing 247, India managed just 146 runs in 38.5 overs as their hopeless batting performance was on display.
Jos Buttler Praised Batters For Being Proactive And Playing Positive Shots
Talking about England’s batting performance, the skipper admitted that the team was a bit light on runs in the second ODI and said that the batters could do better. However, Jos Buttler praised his teammates for being proactive and playing some positive shots.
“I think we can bat better, absolutely we can, but instead of playing it safe and allowing the bowlers to just settle in on a length we actually were proactive and played some positive shots which I think earned us a few extra runs than potentially we may have got, I still think we could have got more.
“I think there’s a hell of a lot of experience in the batting line-up and I have so much trust in whoever’s in the middle to make the right call at the time. The whole dressing room will always back those guys,” said Jos Buttler.
England levelled the ODI series against India with a stunning 100-run victory. Moeen Ali and David Willey led a lower-order fightback before Reece Topley took 6-24 – England’s best-ever ODI figures.
After getting thrashed in the first ODI at the Oval, England bounced back at Lord’s to post a decent total of 246 after falling to 102-5. Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal starred for India, picking up 4-47 and taking three massive early wickets in Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes. However, Moeen Ali shared crucial partnerships worth 46 with Liam Livingstone and then 62 with David Willey, helping England reach a total that proved to be more than enough.