Batters Failed To Back Up Bowlers' Good Work, Says Buttler

ODI World Cup: England captain Jos Buttler said he was very disappointed by his team's failure to chase a modest target of 230 runs and said the batting unit let them down in the 100-run defeat to India in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 here on Sunday.

Lucknow, Oct 29 (IANS) England captain Jos Buttler said he was very disappointed by his team's failure to chase a modest target of 230 runs and said the batting unit let them down in the 100-run defeat to India in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 here on Sunday.

After they opted to bowl first, England's bowlers exploited the conditions well to reduce the hosts to 49/3 before Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul shared a 91-run partnership for the fourth wicket and helped India recover.

Rohit Sharma scored 87 and Rahul contributed 39 while Suryakumar Yadav struck a 47-ball 49 as India reached a modest 229/9 in 50 overs.

Chasing 230, England fancied their chances and Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan gave them a good start by raising 30 runs for the first wicket. Things went south for India after that their batting capitulated and they were bundled out for 129 with Mohd Shami claiming 4-22 and Jasprit Bumrah bagging 3-32.

Buttler said he was very disappointed as England slumped to their fifth defeat in six matches. Liam Livingstonetop-scored with 27 runs as the batting united fared miserably.

"Very disappointed. At the halfway stage, chasing 230, we would have fancied ourselves. Same old story. Very disappointed," said Buttler during the post-match presentation on Sunday.

Asked whether it made sense to absorb pressure after losing early wickets, Buttler said what matters more is how one executes the plans.

He blamed his batters for failing to back up the good work of the bowlers and fielders.

"I think whichever way you want to go, you have to be committed. It's all about execution. It is. The answer is on a postcard, I think. It was a great start in the powerplay by the bowlers, the guys found some movement. The ground fielding was good. But the way we batted, we didn't back that up," said the England white-ball captain, whose position is under threat following their disappointing run in the World Cup so far.

The latest defeat not only has an impact on England's fortunes in this World Cup but also on their chances of making it to the Champions Trophy.

"Yeah, we are aware of that and there's still a lot to play for," he added.

The top eight teams in the 10-team World Cup will qualify for the Champions Trophy in 2027. England are currently 10th and last in the table with only one win from six matches. They will have to win their next three matches and hope that Bangladesh and Netherlands slip up.