Buttler shows Test class yet again

LONDON: Jos Buttler celebrated his 28th birthday with an innings of 89 that left England on top in the fifth Test against India at the Oval on Saturday.

England, who had already won this five-match series at 3-1 up, started the second day in danger of being dismissed for under 200 at 198 for seven.

Yet when Buttler was last man out they had made a total of 332. At tea, India were 53 for one in reply, a deficit of 279 runs. KL Rahul was 35 not out and Cheteshwar Pujara 15 not out.

Buttler and Stuart Broad (38) frustrated India with a ninth-wicket stand of 98 as, yet again this series, England bounced back with the bat after a top-order collapse.

Significantly, this was the fourth time in five innings that Buttler, recalled to Test duty earlier this season by new national selector Ed Smith, had been England’s top-scorer. Alastair Cook, in his final Test appearance before international retirement, made 71 on Friday. But the left-handed opener’s dismissal sparked a slump that saw England lose six wickets for 48 runs.

Buttler, who had been given out lbw to Mohammed Shami on eight on Friday only for a review to reveal an inside edge, was 11 not out overnight, with Adil Rashid unbeaten on four. Despite overcast conditions that promised to assist India’s fast bowlers, Rashid was quickly into his stride with two well-struck fours off Jasprit Bumrah. But on 15 he fell lbw to the fast bowler, with England then 214 for eight. New batsman Broad was peppered with several short-pitched deliveries but hung in long enough to on-drive Shami down the ground for a textbook four. Buttler then clipped Ishant Sharma behind square for four to raise a fifty stand with Broad. And Buttler then completed his own fifty in 84 balls, including five fours.

England 1st Innings (overnight: 198-7)

A. Cook b Bumrah 71

K. Jennings c Rahul b Jadeja 23

M. Ali c Pant b Sharma 50

J. Root lbw b Bumrah 0

J. Bairstow c Pant b Sharma 0

B. Stokes lbw b Jadeja 11

J. Buttler c Rahane b Jadeja 89

S. Curran c Pant b Sharma 0

A. Rashid lbw b Bumrah 15

S. Broad c Rahul b Jadeja 38

J. Anderson not out 0

Extras (b26, lb9) 35

Total (all out, 122 overs, 539 mins) 332

Bowling: Bumrah 30-9-83-3; Sharma 31-12-62-3; Vihari 1-0-1-0; Shami 30-7-72-0; Jadeja 30-0-79-4;

India 1st Innings

KL Rahul not out 35

S. Dhawan lbw b Broad 3

C. Pujara not out 15

Total (1 wkt, 18 overs, 80 mins) 53

Bowling: Anderson 5-1-12-0; Broad 4-1-12-1; Stokes 5-0-18-0; Curran 2-0-2-0; Ali 2-0-9-0

Toss: England

Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).