England star Jos Buttler overcame an emotional battle last week to power his team to a sensational win over Pakistan in the first Test. The wicketkeeper-batsman was facing severe criticism for his indifferent form with the bat in Tests and was under severe pressure to deliver. Well, he roared back to form in style and when England needed his services the most.
Chasing 277, England were looking all but defeated after being reduced to 117 for 5. However, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes launched a stunning counterattack to fire England to a famous three-wicket win. Both the batsmen went on to score impressive fifties while sharing a match-winning partnership of 139 runs. He scored 75 before being dismissed when England needed 21 while Woakes remained till the end and scored an unbeaten 84.
Jos Buttler’s brave knock:
Jos Buttler was not only under pressure to deliver with the bat but was also fighting an emotional battle. While he was fighting it out on the field, his father was admitted to hospital. His father Johnny was admitted to hospital on Friday evening which was the third day of the match. The England star’s father was later allowed to go home after a series of tests and scans.
Jos Buttler’s sister Joanne Vickers revealed the news on Twitter and said she is incredibly proud of her brother given the fact that he was told a night before his match-winning knock that his father was in the hospital.
“Pretty f proud given the last three days and being told at 10pm last night your dad was in hospital. That was for you Johnny. Come on England,” she wrote on Twitter.
England captain Joe Root also lavished praise on his teammate, saying:
“It says a huge amount about Jos as a person that he was able to park that.
“I’m sure it’s a very difficult thing to deal with. It’s one of his big traits — big pressure brings out big performances in him. He can deal with those high-pressure situations on the field but to have that external pressure must have been very difficult for him.
“So that’s why Jos Buttler is in this team. It shows his strength of character, strength of mind and being able to read those situations. I think this could be a real stepping stone in his career,” he added.