'Jos Buttler the finisher' could be the final piece in England's T20I puzzle
On 14th March, 2021, Jos Buttler strode out to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, alongside Jason Roy. The pair, who had provided England with an excellent start in the 1st T20I, were expected to follow a similar track and put the Indians under pressure.
However, Jos Buttler perished in the first over to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, meaning that the Three Lions were pegged back. While they recovered relatively decently in the overs that succeeded, they found themselves stuck in quicksand as the innings meandered to a drab conclusion.
To put things into context, England could only muster 35 runs in the final five overs, eventually consigning them to a below-par total. More worryingly though, the likes of Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan, and Sam Curran – the troika that has been earmarked to provide the late-overs thrust, looked completely at sea against India’s variations.
Though one might want to label it an anomaly, considering the sheer firepower at England’s disposal, it perhaps highlighted a slight chink in their batting armour – one that could undermine their pursuit of a second T20 World Cup conquest.
Jos Buttler has enjoyed tremendous success as a T20 opener
Since the 2018 edition of the IPL, Jos Buttler has opened the batting regularly and has captured the imagination of the cricketing fraternity. As far as numbers are concerned, Jos Buttler averages 40.66 at the top of the order in the cash-rich tournament, while also striking at 157.41.
Post that revelation, England have also been content to use Jos Buttler as an opener, meaning that Jonny Bairstow has been shunted lower down the order. The former has repaid the faith, scoring 588 runs at an average of 48.58 and an astounding strike rate of 152.62.
In turn, though, that has forced England to abide by Ben Stokes as their primary finisher – something that has, rather perplexingly, not borne fruit.
The English all-rounder averages only 19.10 in T20Is and strikes at 132.63. While the average might not be as big a dilemma, considering lower-order batsmen are rarely expected to stitch together fifty-plus scores, the strike rate casts Ben Stokes’ suitability to the role under the scanner.
Even in the IPL, the Englishman hasn’t particularly set the world ablaze when tasked with performing the finishing act. At No.5, he averages 22.15 and strikes at 133.33, while at No.6, his corresponding numbers are 22.36 and 126.80.
At the top of the order, though, where Stokes was used by the Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2020, he strikes at 143 and averages 37 – a marked improvement from his performances lower down.
Additionally, if the all-rounder’s white-ball career, which includes ODIs, is taken into consideration, there is a significant case for Stokes to be used in the top order, rather than as a finisher.
To put things into perspective, nine of the all-rounder’s ten highest scores in ODI cricket have come when he has arrived at the crease before the 20th over, which is equivalent to taking guard before the 8th over in a T20. Consequently, he has gotten the requisite time to assess the conditions before wreaking havoc.
Even during the ICC 2019 Cricket World Cup, where Stokes was the best cricketer on display, he conjured significant innings when walking into bat early – a theory that is justified by his stellar knocks against Australia (at Lord’s), Sri Lanka (at Leeds), South Africa (at The Oval) and of course, New Zealand (in the World Cup final).
Thus, there is enough evidence to suggest that Ben Stokes could be better suited higher up in T20Is, considering he has recently evolved his game. Earlier, the all-rounder had a tendency to release the handbrake and veer into over-drive almost instantly. Now though, he is much more inclined to gauge the situation and then land decisive blows.
Jos Buttler has played the finisher's role previously
Jos Buttler, on the other hand, began his international career as a fearsome finisher and has enjoyed considerable success too, both in T20Is and ODIs. While his average as an opener is understandably higher, considering that he has the luxury of time, one can’t understate the vitality of Jos Buttler's knocks lower down the order.
In T20Is, when batting at No.5, Jos Buttler averages 23.89 across 23 innings at a strike rate of 137.16. At No.6, the numbers aren’t as glossy, considering he averages only 22.73 and strikes at 126.30.
Hence, if raw statistics are concerned, Jos Buttler might not have a strong claim to be England’s premier finisher. However, a couple of other factors indicate that that particular tweak could lend more balance to the Three Lions.
England, at this juncture, seem to have plenty of prospective opening batsmen, whether it be Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings or even, Alex Hales, if he gets a gig. However, the Three Lions don’t seem to boast a batsman of Jos Buttler’s ilk lower down the order – someone who can change games in a trice.
Furthermore, Jos Buttler’s skill set is pretty unique, considering that he falls in the rare category of batsmen capable of playing all around the park. Or, if cricketing jargon is to be adopted, he is a 360-degree batsman.
At times, during the 2nd T20I, England were guilty of being a tad one-dimensional with their hitting zones, meaning that India exploited that weakness mercilessly. Unsurprisingly, the Three Lions could only manage a squeal, instead of their customary roar towards the end of the innings. Had Jos Buttler been in the fray, though, he might’ve been a lot more successful, considering he would’ve targeted different scoring areas.
While Ben Stokes also tried deploying the reverse ramp ala Rishabh Pant, he didn’t look as comfortable, highlighting that that wasn’t a stroke that came naturally to the all-rounder. In contrast, these scoops and reverse scoops are quite synonymous with Jos Buttler
Also, as things stand, Eoin Morgan, Stokes and Sam Curran (or Moeen Ali) are slated to bat at No.5, 6 and 7, respectively. Though the trio are more than capable of pyrotechnics, slotting three left-handers in a row, that too at the end of the innings, could complicate things for England. With Jos Buttler in the mix, they might be able to add more variety and flexibility.
There is no denying that Jos Buttler, since his promotion to the top of the order, has been one of the most influential openers across the globe. In fact, England have only lost two T20Is in the last three years when the gloveman has been in the side. And, during most of those encounters, Jos Buttler was an effervescent presence at the start of an innings.
However, courtesy the enormous number of opening options and the balance the Rajasthan Royals batsman accords in the middle order, the Three Lions might be better served using the wicket-keeper as their primary finisher.
Funnily, just a few months prior to the T20 World Cup, England, like most top-quality sporting outfits, have the problem of foraging through surplus resources – assets that would be envied by other T20I teams.
Yet, if England aren’t careful, they might not be able to optimize those, meaning that their quandary could even have a detrimental effect. After all, too many cooks do spoil the broth, don’t they?
Nevertheless, there is enough time for the Three Lions to rummage for an ideal solution and ultimately stumble upon it. Though there might be a temptation to look for alternatives that are currently not part of the squad, England might do well to look for an adequate avenue from within.
If that happens, they might just unleash Jos Buttler – the finisher. And, one wouldn’t really be surprised if he morphs into the missing piece of England’s T20I jigsaw.