England captain Jos Buttler believes that playing the team’s last match gives them a significant advantage over the other teams. The goalie hitter also stated they wanted to correct mistakes from the previous game.
England narrowly lost to Ireland in a rain-affected match five times (via DLS) due to their poor full-round performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Their next match with Australia on Friday, October 28, at the same location, which was later abandoned without a single ball being dropped.
Speaking after the abandoned match against Australia, Buttler said the English players were trying very hard to get through. The 32-year-old admits that while being one of the teams playing the last game of Group 1 is an advantage, their focus right now is on beating New Zealand.
He is quoted by the Times of India as saying:
“It might be a small advantage, but to take advantage of that we need to win against New Zealand. Everyone is rested and ready to go. There were a lot of disappointments from the last game. . People want to tune in to that performance. So, we’ll train well and head towards a tough challenge against New Zealand.”
The 2010 T20 World Champions still have matches against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. They will confidently beat Lankan, whom they beat 26 rounds in the final edition in 2021.
“There’s excitement to get back on the field” – Jos Buttler
Buttler also feels that Friday’s washout means they have more time to focus on their next game and next step after their defeat to Ireland. He added:
“I think it could work well both ways to our advantage. Though we have a bit of time to learn it and let it hurt and sort of deal with it and get over it. All However, this is a very big occasion and needs total focus and attention, so you will quickly move on. Now we have a few days. If people need more problem solving, you can be solved.”
Next, England will meet New Zealand on Tuesday, November 1, at Gabba in Brisbane.
