Jos Buttler 'excited' by Australia match-up as England look to bounce back from Sri Lanka loss
"Our guys have been bowling really well up front and it will be a really great watch to see Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood charging in against them [Warner and Smith]."
Tuesday 25 June 2019 10:04, UK
Sky Sports columnist Jos Buttler pinpoints Tuesday's clash with Australia at Lord's as the perfect opportunity to bounce back following defeat to Sri Lanka, and reflects on Eoin Morgan's record-breaking hundred against Afghanistan...
It is a huge game on Tuesday! England vs Australia is the first fixture you look out for when the schedule is announced.
It's the first of three massive games for us, with India and New Zealand to follow. We're desperate to move on from the Sri Lanka result and put things right, and Australia is the perfect game to get up for, with its own unique intensity.
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We're still a good team. Throughout these long tournaments, you know you're going to be put under pressure and, at times, not play that well - unfortunately that has seen us lose two games so far - but the guys are confident we'll make the semi-finals.
People will talk about the David Warner and Steve Smith issue but, for us, that is old news now and everyone is keen to just get on with the cricket.
Before sitting out the last year to serve ball-tampering bans, they were fantastic cricketers, and that has not changed. Warner, in particular, is in fine form, he had a fantastic IPL coming into the World Cup and has obviously carried that over.
But our guys have been bowling really well up front and it will be a really great watch to see Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood charging in against them.
Jofra is the joint leading wicket-taker in the World Cup, while Woody is not far behind and has also bowled the fastest ball in the tournament - it shows he has real confidence in his body, so great signs for him.
The pair of them have been fantastic for us. They are both bowling very fast, sure, but it's not just about the pace - you have to credit the skill level, delivering the variations they do and being able to execute them.
Australia traditionally have good, strong, quick bowlers and this team is no exception. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, in particular, are two very fine bowlers. Starc has a similar style to Lasith Malinga - a somewhat slingy action, constantly attacking the stumps.
He is a key man in their attack and we'll have to play him really well. Better than we played Malinga on Friday.
Particularly when I look at my own dismissal, I'm really disappointed with myself, as I've faced Malinga before and I've always looked to keep my legs out of the way and play straight. Instead, I went across my stumps and played across the line.
We had bowled really well to restrict Sri Lanka to a manageable target, but to then bat in the manner we did was really disappointing. Credit to Sri Lanka for bowling well, but I don't think we quite had the same intent and energy that we usually have with the bat.
By that, I don't mean that we have to be hitting fours and sixes all the time. It's more about our intent to score runs - over the last four years or so we've always tried to pick the positive option, but I don't think we quite did that.
Ben Stokes was one who did. It was an excellent innings from him and, at one stage, it looked like he might take us home, but it wasn't to be.
Eoin is very consistent with us, win lose or draw. That's one of his greatest strengths, the consistency of his emotions. But he was a bit stronger with us after Sri Lanka. Everyone was disappointed.
He and Trevor Bayliss both spoke very well. We definitely feel that it was a game that got away - we were in a position to win the game - and it was particularly frustrating as it came on the back of three strong wins.
It was an absolutely incredible hundred from Morgs in the win over Afghanistan at Old Trafford. Seventeen sixes! That's the new ODI record, what an achievement.
The consistency and ruthlessness of his ball-striking was amazing. I was watching in disbelief, particularly at the way he repeatedly belted Rashid Khan into the stands.
Rashid is one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world; I think I have faced about 10 balls from him in my career and got out four times, so was personally very nervous about the prospect of facing him. I needn't have worried.
Stokesy and I actually had a bit of a laugh when we teamed up out in the middle, saying: "Wow, what else we can do now, having seen that?" Like most people in the ground, we were a little out of breath.
I saw Eoin's interview after the game where he said he didn't realise he was capable of such a knock. Again, that just shows how level-headed he stays when faced with success or failure.
He has us all focused to go again for this crucial run of games. Huge games, but the sort you want to be involved in, against the best teams.
It's now about training hard and getting ready for the first of those, against Australia on Tuesday. Can't wait.
You can watch every match of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup on Sky Sports Cricket, including England's next game against Australia at Lord's from 9.30am on Tuesday.
