Jos Buttler was England’s positive at Trent Bridge, says Ian Botham

Former England captain and legendary all-rounder Sir Ian Botham lauded India after Virat Kohli’s side defeated the hosts in the third Test at Trent Bridge by 203 runs. He said England were outplayed in all departments in the match, adding that this result has turned the series into a great one. Joe Roots’ team now leads the five-match series 2-1 and will take on the re-energised tourists in the fourth Test at Rose Bowl, Southampton, starting August 30.

Analysing England’s performance at Trent Bridge, Botham said one positive for the hosts was Jos Buttler, who was the only batsman to put up some show in the match. Buttler top-scored in England’s forgettable first innings with 39 and resisted a charged-up Indian bowling in the second innings with a 106, his first in Tests. He saved his side from a precarious 62 for 4 on Day 4 to give respectability to their score.

Writing for Sky Sports, Botham said: “One positive for England was Jos Buttler. If there was any debate to be had over whether he has what it takes to be a Test player, he put it to bed with his century on day four. Personally, I never had any doubt.”

Buttler is a magnificent cricketer

“I think he’s a magnificent cricketer; he’s a good fielder, he can keep and, as he showed, he can battle it out when England are in a tight situation. He’s just a very, very good cricketer and one I hope England will hang on to for a very long time,” said the all-rounder who took 5,200 runs and took 383 wickets in 102 Test matches.

Botham also praised Buttler’s 169-run partnership with all-rounder Ben Stokes (62) for the fifth wicket to deny India an easy victory at Trent Bridge. “It’s not easy for players like Jos and Ben Stokes, who are more naturally attacking, in a situation where you have to bat time. But I actually think they will have been good for each other in that sense,” the 62-year-old wrote in his column.

“They will have chatted away, they’re good friends and will have given it the ‘let’s stay together, not get out and if you don’t let me down, I won’t let you down’ – that sort of conversation will have gone on. It was a great partnership.”

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