India and England are gearing up for the ODI series which is set to start from February 6 in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, right ahead of the series opener England captain Jos Buttler has heaped immense praise on India skipper Rohit Sharma. Buttler, during the pre-match press conference, openly said that Rohit Sharma deserves the credit for India's aggressive brand of cricket. Buttler then affirmed that England intends to maintain its attacking style, despite recent difficulties in the shorter formats.
Rohit Sharma pushed India more towards aggressive brand of cricket: Jos Buttler
Buttler recent comment on Rohit is derived from the India captain's aggressive brand of cricket during the ODI World Cup 2023, leading from the front with a fearless approach at the top of the order. Rohit went on to amass 597 runs at a strike rate of 125.94 and an average of 54.27. The 37-year-old consistently attacked opposition new-ball bowlers in the powerplay, frequently giving India explosive starts. Even in the final against Australia, which India ultimately lost, he contributed a quickfire 47 off just 31 balls, however he failed to convert it into a big score, hence India missed their shot at the coveted trophy.
Rohit didn't stop there and carried his aggressive batting style into the T20 World Cup, where he continued to dismantle opposing bowling attacks. His leadership and performances were instrumental in India's historic title triumph in T20I World Cup 2024, which ended Men in Blue's 11-year-long ICC trophy drought.
"If I look back at that World Cup, the two teams in the final were playing a really positive and aggressive brand of cricket. You think of the way Travis Head took that final on with the bat, so you see it can be successful. Obviously, Rohit takes a lot of credit for the way he's come out and played himself as a captain and pushed India more towards that style of cricket, so absolutely, we want to be exactly the same," Buttler said in the pre-match press conference.
England's recent T20I series against India drew criticism for their perceived one-dimensional approach. The English batting lineup struggled against India's spin attack, spearheaded by Varun Chakravarthy, resulting in a 1-4 series loss.
Despite the T20I struggles, England captain Buttler reposed confidence in his team's ability to perform better in the upcoming ODI series. He believes that with a clearer game plan, England can deliver a stronger showing in ODIs.
"We want to find ways to put pressure on the opposition with the bat. You've got to take wickets, I think, and it's crucial you see how, if you let guys bat for a period of time, they can go on to hurt you. So, we'll be desperate to try and find ways of taking wickets," he added.
"It's always about execution, really. Whether you want to be aggressive, conservative, or measured, you've still got to go out there, execute it, and play it well," Buttler concluded.