[Watch] Kusal Mendis takes a diving catch to dismiss Jos Buttler during ENG vs SL 2023 World Cup clash
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis took a wonderful catch to dismiss his counterpart Jos Buttler during the 2023 World Cup match against England on Thursday (October 26) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
It was a crucial moment in the first innings of the match as Jos Buttler was trying to resurrect England's innings in the company of Ben Stokes after a top-order collapse.
After opting to bat first, England found themselves in trouble at 68/3 in 13.2 overs. Openers Jonny Bairstow (30) and Dawid Malan (28) got starts but fell without capitalizing on them. Joe Root got run out for 3 (10).
Buttler walked in at this juncture and scored 8 (6) before Lahiru Kumara and Kusal Mendis's combined effort ended his stay at the crease. He got a thick edge while attempting to play a drive on the off-side. Kusal Mendis dived to his right and completed a fine catch to give his side a massive breakthrough.
You can watch Kusal Mendis's catch in the video below:
Jos Buttler-led England side had a dismal run in the 2023 World Cup so far
England has been a force to reckon with in the white-ball formats over the past five or six years. Their 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup wins attest to the fact. However, the defending champions have endured a disappointing run in the ongoing tournament, losing three of their first four games.
England's recent struggles caught the attention of former Indian pacer Sreesanth. Speaking to Sportskeeda on the matter, he said:
"It doesn't look like England have come here to win the World Cup. Right from their first match, it didn't seem as if they were prepared. That's how cricket is; they will learn."
He said:
"The fearless cricket that England talk about, South Africa played that kind of cricket and beat them," he continued. "The kind of cricket that South Africa are playing is admirable. They showed great intent. The last few overs were like a video game, as every ball was being hit for a four or a six."
Do you agree with Sreesanth's views above about Jos Buttler's side? Sound off in the comments section.