Jos Buttler, who was at the centre of a number of flare-ups between the Indian and English players during the Lord’s Test, said that the verbal duels are one of the “great pleasures” of facing Virat Kohli. For Jos Buttler, the subplots that develop during the course of a long series are one of the more enjoyable challenges in Test cricket.
The subplot that has come out of the last Test at Lord’s has added spice to the contest. It’s the flaying tempers and verbal volleys exchanged on the last day of the intriguing. Moments after winning the Test, the Indian contingent declared they are a more dangerous side when they are riled up. David Warner had conceded last winter that sledging Virat Kohli is more likely to backfire.
Jos Buttler On Virat Kohli:
England, under extreme pressure to deliver on home turf, is not going to renege on the ploy of being in the face and getting under the skin of the Indians.
“Virat’s an incredibly competitive guy. He loves the challenge. He is a great batter. To be honest, it’s one of the pleasures of playing against him,” Buttler said of India’s aggressive brand of cricket during an interaction on the eve of the third Test.“It’s a privilege to be out there in competition with him and his team. We enjoy that. We have incredibly competitive guys on our team. It adds to the fixture,” he added.
Jos Buttler: India Is A Confident Team With Success And International Exposure Behind Them
The tantalizing moments at Lord’s have re-ignited the ‘spirit of cricket’ debate. But this set of players locking horns are not about taking a backward step.
“At times it becomes a part of the game. It’s interesting to watch as a viewer. It boils down to 22 competitive guys in the field trying to win for their country. At times, there is ego and some words are shared but mostly in good spirits. As a side, we are very focused on what we have to do to get back in the series,” Jos Buttler stated.
Getting back into the series won’t be easy for England. This Indian team seems to be on a roll and is sniffing the kill. This is more or less the same bunch that suffered a 1-4 drubbing in England three years ago.
“The most notable difference in the Indian team is the experience. This is a side that’s been together for three years. It’s the similar group and same names. They are a confident team with lots of international games and success behind them,” Jos Buttler said.
Jos Buttler also said that the rest of the England batsmen have to step up and assist captain Joe Root. Joe Root has scored 386 runs in just four runs thus far but England’s second-highest run-scorer in the series, Jonny Bairstow, has managed just 118 runs in as many innings.
Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley have managed partnerships of 0, 37, 23, and 1 in the two Tests at Nottingham and Lord’s – a stark contrast to Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul who have managed 275 runs in four innings for the first wicket. With Dominic Sibley’s poor form leading to his exclusion from the squad, Haseeb Hameed who registered scores of 0 and 9 at number three in the second Test, is likely to return to his favoured slot at the top.