But lack of match practice and defensive technique are issues
Monday 21 November 2016 13:14, UK
England shouldn't expect too much of Jos Buttler if he is brought in to replace struggling Ben Duckett for the third Test against India, says Mike Atherton.
Duckett's place is under scrutiny after the Northamptonshire batsman struggled once again against India's slow bowlers to return scores of five and nought in England's 246-run second Test defeat, at Visakhapatnam.
It means the 22-year-old has scored just 105 runs in his five Test innings so far, a tally which includes 56 off 64 balls against Bangladesh on a turning surface in Dhaka last month.
But Buttler has not played Test cricket since he was dropped for Jonny Bairstow ahead of the third Test in Sharjah against Pakistan after a run of form that yielded 156 runs in 12 knocks - his overall record in that series reading 34 runs in four knocks - and he is currently short on match practice.
"The only option England have if they do choose to replace Duckett is Buttler," former England captain Atherton told Sky Sports.
"It would be difficult to see England go back to Gary Ballance straight away, given that they left him out after the Bangladesh series.
"The advantage of picking Buttler is that he's a right-hander, who have looked more comfortable against India's off-spinners.
"The problem with Buttler, though, is very similar to Duckett; when he played Test cricket, he didn't show he had a defensive technique when pitches started to deteriorate and against spin in the UAE - which was when he was left out this time last year.
"You are always a better player when you are out of the side but that is a possible option."
England coach Trevor Bayliss claimed in the wake of England's defeat that no player is working harder in the nets than Duckett, who was bowled in the first innings after showing all three stumps to Ravichandran Ashwin.
The left-hander looked to bat further across his stumps in the second dig but fell when he attempted to sweep the spinner, gloving a catch behind to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.
Asked by Sky Sports reporter Ian Ward if the time has now come to take Duckett out of the firing line, England captain Alastair Cook said: "It shows how hard international cricket is. There is no hiding place.
"You play and score a lot of runs for your county away from the microscope and then within a couple of dismissals the media and TV are all over it. The whole enormity of the situation can impact the guy.
"Ben is a very talented cricketer - there's no doubt about it. We'll have to make a decision on it, but whatever decision we make Ben is certainly a guy who will be around for England."
Our live coverage of the third Test between India and England begins at 3.45am on Sky Sports 2 this Saturday.
