October 22nd 2023.
England captain Jos Buttler admitted that the 229-run defeat to South Africa in the ongoing World Cup had left them in a desperate race to qualify for the semi-finals. This was the biggest ever loss in the history of ODI cricket for England. South Africa had posted a huge total of 400 runs, with 143 coming in the last 10 overs and 84 in the last 30 balls.
Buttler said that it was a really tough defeat to take and that they had worked really hard in the past few days, but it didn't work out. He also conceded that it will be very difficult from this point to qualify for the semi-finals.
The England captain was confident that his team still has the belief to turn its fortunes around. He said that even though it will be a tough ask, there is still belief in the dressing room. He added that they needed everything to go perfect to pull off a chase like that.
Buttler also defended his decision to field first on a batting belter. He said it was a decision he took at the time and he still believes that if they were chasing 340-350, they would have done really well in those conditions.
The skipper said that dismissals like Joe Root’s - caught at the leg-slip off a pacer while trying to get runs down the ground - could lead to a sinking feeling in the group.
England have now slipped to 9th in the standings and will next face Sri Lanka on October 25th in Bengaluru. With no margin for error, Buttler and his team will have to put in their best effort if they hope to qualify for the semi-finals.
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