It hasn’t quite gone the way England would have liked but skipper Jos Buttler on Wednesday (February 5, 2025) said the ongoing tour of India is “as good a preparation as you can have” for this month’s Champions Trophy given the similarities in conditions with Pakistan where his team will be based for the event.
Buttler also believes that veteran batter Joe Root will play a pivotal role in both the ODI series against India, starting Thursday, and the upcoming Champions Trophy, given his experience.
England, coming off a disappointing 1-4 T20I series loss, has received a much-needed boost with Root’s return. The seasoned batter, who has 171 ODIs under his belt, recently enjoyed a successful stint in SA20 with Paarl Royals, further reinforcing his form.
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“Root is one of the great players of the game, so in all the formats here he’s obviously been a vital part of ODI cricket for England for a long time,” Buttler told reporters on the eve of the first ODI here.
“He’s got loads of experience in ODI cricket, which would be great for some of the guys who haven’t played as much in our group. He’s been a vital player for England in all formats, and we feel like he’s got a crucial role for us to play in these games.” The ODI series serves as England’s final preparation before the Champions Trophy, where Buttler and his team will begin their campaign against Australia on February 22 in Lahore.
“As preparation goes for any tournament, I think taking on India in India is always going to be a great challenge and as good a preparation as you can have,” Buttler said.
“The conditions here in India may be similar (to those in Pakistan). Each ground that we play at always has their own nuances and a little bit of difference. We’re always trying to adapt to that,” he added.
The England captain reaffirmed his team’s commitment to the aggressive brand of cricket that has come to define it.
“We want to find ways to put pressure on the opposition with the bat. You’ve got to take wickets, I think, and it’s crucial you see how, if you let guys back for a period of time, they can go on to hurt you.
“So, we’ll be desperate to try and find ways of taking wickets,” he said.
“It’s always about execution, really. Whether you want to be aggressive, you want to be conservative, you want to be measured, you’ve still got to go out there and execute it and play it well,” he added.
Buttler was all praise for under-fire India skipper Rohit Sharma, who will look to regain form in the series.
