England captain Jos Buttler continued his poor run of form in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, falling early for just 8 runs against Sri Lanka in the 25th match of the tournament at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Buttler won the toss and opted to bat first, but England lost early wickets and the skipper was expected to take responsibility and score big.
However, he was back in the hut early after getting a thick outside edge to a full delivery outside off from Lahiru Kumara. Keeper Kusal Mendis put in a magnificent dive to his right to take the catch. This was the third time in the tournament that Buttler had been dismissed in the same way, and his wicket left England tottering at 77/4.
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With pressure clearly visible on their faces, England are desperate for a win here, as they have already lost three games out of their four matches. They cannot afford to lose another game, as it would mean that their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals would be dented.
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After Buttler’s departure, it was expected that Liam Livingstone would change the complexion of the game, but he too fell early for just 1 run. The all-rounder was trapped lbw by a nip backer from Lahiru Kumara. With his wicket, England were left tottering at 85/5.
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England’s batting has been their main problem throughout the tournament. They have failed to post big totals consistently, which has put their bowlers under a lot of pressure. Buttler’s poor form has been a major concern, as he is one of their most important batsmen. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have been in excellent form. They have won four of their five matches and are one of the favorites to win the tournament.
