Jos Buttler hopes to refocus England for a "massive" T20 World Cup encounter with Australia following their "poor" loss to Ireland at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

A rain-affected encounter ultimately came to a close with a famous victory for Andrew Balbirnie's side, with a five-run triumph via the DLS method.

With a win and a loss to their name so far, England's hopes of progression through to the semi-finals from a competitive Group 1 have taken a hit, though New Zealand's washout against Afghanistan will come as a boost.

Regardless, Buttler was left frustrated by his side's performance, and acknowledges their next match at the MCG, with their Ashes rivals, will be a do-or-die test.

"We were poor," he told the BBC's Test Match Special. "We were a long way short of where we needed to be, and we let Ireland get away from us. We won the toss, but we didn't take advantage.

"Friday is massive. This result has put a lot of pressure on us now, but it is as big as it can get, to get us up for it at the MCG."

Balbirnie, whose 62 helped lay the groundwork for Ireland's victory, hailed the result as "pretty special", particularly to achieve it on Melbourne's hallowed ground.

"It's amazing, and it is emotional," he said. "We've never played a game of cricket here. 

"To come here and play the tournament favourites, with so many big names, and put on a show in front of friends and family and so many people around the world is very satisfying.

"To do this at one of the most amazing cricket grounds in the world is pretty special."

Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes impressed before England were denied the chance to press for a 3-0 series clean sweep against Australia by rain in Canberra.

Captain Buttler cracked 65 from 41 balls as England posted 112-2 from 12 overs in the third T20I, their innings having been disrupted twice by downpours at Manuka Oval.

Buttler's fellow opener Alex Hales made a disappointing duck, while Dawid Malan scored 23 and Ben Stokes added an unbeaten 17.

The fifth over of England's innings saw a minor flash point as Australia paceman Starc appear to threaten a 'Mankad' dismissal when he claimed Buttler, later named player of the series, was leaving the crease at the bowler's end too early.

England held a 2-0 lead coming into the final match of the series, after posting eight-run wins in Perth and the first leg of a Canberra double-header, and they had another victory in their sights, particularly when the home team made a dreadful start to their reply.

Australia lost Aaron Finch to the first ball of their innings, with the captain reaching outside off stump and flogging Chris Woakes to Harry Brook at deep point.

Woakes had two wickets in two balls when Mitchell Marsh fell, Mark Wood taking the catch after the batter looked to be caught in two minds and got a leading edge to short third man. Steve Smith fended off the hat-trick ball.

Australia got to 30-3 in their reply from 3.5 overs, with Woakes (3-4 from two overs) having also dismissed Glenn Maxwell, when rain stopped play again.

Five overs needed to be completed for a result to be called, but there was no prospect of play resuming, the teams denied what could have been a useful finale to the contest ahead of the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup campaign.

England's T20 World Cup preparations are on track after an entertaining win by eight runs in the first match of their T20I series against Australia on Sunday.

Openers Jos Buttler (68) and Alex Hales (84) were central to England setting a commanding target of 209 in Perth, with their stand of 132 almost double that of any other partnership for either team.

No one else managed more than 13 for England, but Chris Woakes (13 not out from five) provided a late injection to help them pass 200 and set Australia a significant target.

Australia's response was valiant. David Warner (73) looked sharp, aided by Mitchell Marsh (36) and Marcus Stoinis. During the latter's 35 off just 15 balls, Australia looked to have turned the tide.

Mark Wood (3-34) was key to disrupting Australia's momentum as he claimed the scalps of Stoinis and Warner, though the hosts still went into the final over knowing 16 runs would seal victory.

Matthew Wade's (21) four at the start of the last over stoked hope, but Sam Curran ensured there was no dramatic late turnaround with two wickets in the space of three balls.

Hales a double threat

While Curran played an important part at the end and Buttler gave England's innings some real potency, Hales starred both with the bat and in the field.

Hales' match-high score came from 51 balls as he found a fine balance between power and composure to hang around until the 16th over, while he also made two catches.

Curran repays the faith

Having the ball for the final over was not only a show of faith, but also a real test for Curran – Australia's target of 16 at that point was hardly inconceivable.

But he held his nerve, eventually claiming two wickets and seeing England over the line in an exciting finish to the first of three clashes between the sides.

Matthew Wade says a crushing defeat to England in the last T20 World Cup was a "lightbulb moment" for Australia as the two sides prepare to do battle in a three-match series.

England hammered Australia by eight wickets with 50 balls to spare in the group stage of the T20 World Cup last year, but Aaron Finch's side went on to win the title for the first time.

Australia opted to go with a longer batting line-up after that crushing loss rather than pick five bowlers and reaped the rewards, beating New Zealand in the final.

The holders start the defence of their crown on home soil against the Black Caps at the SCG on October 22, but before then they take on an England side who are among the favourites to dethrone them.

Wicketkeeper-batter Wade feels the manner in which they were dismantled by England was a "turning point".

He said ahead of the opening match of the series at Perth Stadium: "They destroyed us in the World Cup. It was probably a turning point for the way we go about playing T20.

"We had to start to go a little bit harder, especially towards the top and then back end it with seven batters. We stuck to that formula after they destroyed us in the World Cup.

"So we're looking forward to playing them and see whether our game style [continues to work] – since then [it] has changed a little bit and hopefully we can go blow for blow with them.

"We've got seven batters now – we played six batters for a long time … but now we've got the power and we've got the depth of batting that I think you need to go with a team like England. You need to be able to score 200 to beat them on their day."

Captain Jos Buttler returns for a calf injury to lead England and Test skipper Ben Stokes is back after missing the 4-3 series win in Pakistan, but Liam Livingstone (ankle) remains sidelined.

England have won four of the past five T20Is between the two fierce rivals, but Australia have been victorious in seven of the last eight contests on home soil.

 

Smith in the spotlight

Australia completed a 2-0 whitewash of West Indies at The Gabba on Friday, but Steve Smith missed out once again as he fell for 17.

The former captain has not scored a T20I half-century since November 2019 and could do with some runs against England.

With Tim David having staked his claim for a place in the side and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis returning, Smith is in the spotlight.

Hales and Salt battling for opening berth

The return of Buttler at the top of the order means England will have to choose between Alex Hales and Phil Salt for the other opening spot.

Hales made a half-century in his long-awaited England comeback in the first match of the series against Pakistan, but fell for under 20 on three occasions.

Salt blasted a stunning unbeaten 88 from 41 balls in the sixth T20I in Lahore, but it remains to be seen if he will retain his place.

England captain Jos Buttler says he is "100 per cent" fit for the T20I series with Australia after recovering from a calf injury.

Buttler suffered the injury while playing in the Hundred in August and did not take part in England's series win over Pakistan.

But he returns on Sunday against world champions Australia, where they will play three matches ahead of the World Cup.

"I'm back to 100 per cent," Buttler said. "Had a good time in Pakistan rehabbing, probably could have played earlier, but with the World Cup around the corner, it was the right thing to do."

Buttler is expected to open with either Alex Hales or Phil Salt, and he is confident in England's batting capabilities.

"We have great options at the top of the order with guys in really good form in Pakistan," he added.

"They're both excellent options. Whoever I partner with will have a great go at it."

Buttler also revealed that Liam Livingstone is a doubt for the World Cup, starting later this month.

He explained Livingstone is "a little way off at the minute", saying: "Hopefully he'll get back to full fitness before the start of the World Cup."

Interim England captain Moeen Ali says Jos Buttler is unlikely to feature on their tour of Pakistan, as he works to be fit for the T20 World Cup next month.

Buttler succeeded Eoin Morgan as England's white-ball skipper earlier this year following the latter's retirement, having played a pivotal role in their 2019 World Cup success in the fifty-over game.

But a recurrence of a long-standing calf issue while playing in The Hundred has left him nursing a knock just weeks away from the start of this year's short-form tournament in Australia.

England will warm up with a mammoth seven-match series over the next fortnight against Pakistan, with Moeen handed the armband in Buttler's stead, and he has now revealed that he does not know if his team-mate will figure.

"We're not sure," he stated. "He did his calf in The Hundred. He's done it before, so he's just [being] a bit more careful. Maybe at the back end of the tour, he will play one or two games, but we're not sure yet.

"It depends on how he feels. Obviously, with the World Cup in Australia, he's huge for us, and we want him fully fit for the whole competition.

"There won't be any risking him. He will decide if he is going to play in maybe the last one or two games."

England's trip to Pakistan marks a historic series and a particularly special one for Moeen, who is of Pakistani descent, as he gets to lead out the side.

"With my roots being from here and to lead England in such a big and historic series, it's huge," he added. "It's a very proud moment for me and my family, my mum and dad and everybody.

"Of course my family are very happy and my friends and my community, and everybody who I feel like I represent they’re very happy for me. Captaining England in any game anywhere in the world is a huge honour."

England follow their tour of Pakistan with a trio of warm-up games against Australia, before they get their campaign underway against Afghanistan in Perth on October 22.

Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have been passed fit to make England's squad for the T20 World Cup, which includes Test captain Ben Stokes.

Woakes had previously been a doubt for the October-November tournament due to knee surgery, while Wood required an operation on his elbow.

But both men have made Jos Buttler's 15-man group for the World Cup and the prior three-match tour of Australia.

Woakes and Wood were also included in a larger travelling party for the September tour of Pakistan, which was also confirmed on Friday.

Chris Jordan and Liam Livingstone, who have respective finger and ankle injuries, will skip that series as they have been granted more time to recuperate, but both are still on course to feature at the World Cup.

Stokes – still engaged in a Test series against South Africa – also will not face Pakistan but will make the World Cup, returning to Twenty20 International cricket for the first time since March 2021.

Since then, Stokes has taken a break from cricket to look after his mental health, returned as Test skipper and retired from ODIs to help manage his workload.

The plan was always for Stokes to still feature at this year's T20 World Cup, and he is indeed involved.

Limited-overs captain Buttler is another whose fitness will be assessed carefully, however, with a calf problem meaning Moeen Ali will deputise as skipper for the start of the Pakistan series.

The squad for that tour includes five new faces in Jordan Cox, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Olly Stone and Luke Wood.

England squad for T20 World Cup and Australia series:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Travelling reserves:

Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Tymal Mills (Sussex).

England squad for Pakistan series:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Jordan Cox (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Tom Helm (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Luke Wood (Lancashire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler have agreed England's Twenty20 International series defeat to South Africa was "a line in the sand moment".

Mott was recently appointed England's new limited-overs head coach, with Buttler newly installed as white-ball skipper.

But the pair have not enjoyed the sort of strong start seen in the Test arena under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

England lost ODI and T20I series' to India, both 2-1, before facing South Africa.

A three-match ODI series was drawn, but Buttler's men then let slip a 1-0 lead in the T20Is to lose again.

England looked to be on the right path with their opening 41-run win, only for subsequent reverses by 58 and 90 runs to prompt serious concern.

Following that latest dismal defeat, Mott was not shying away from the need for vast improvement.

"I've just spoken to Jos very briefly, and this is a line in the sand moment for the team," the coach told Sky Sports.

He added: "We were down on confidence with bat and ball. It was disappointing.

"I thought we put ourselves in a good position to win the series, and we'll have take a lot out of that game."

This sequence of underwhelming results comes ahead of a T20 World Cup at the end of the year, too.

"It's been a bit of a struggle," Mott told BBC Sport. "We've had ups and downs throughout the summer.

"We've played two great teams and come out second both times, so we're disappointed."

Adil Rashid suggested any tactical U-turn from England's white-ball teams could mean years of progress being lost as he predicted continued aggression would bring its rewards.

The spinner is set for a key role as England tackle South Africa in a three-match T20I series that begins at the County Ground in Bristol on Wednesday.

Rashid, with 81 wickets in 73 T20I outings, ranks second only to Chris Jordan on the list of England's bowlers with the most victims in the short-form international game.

There has been a rocky start to the new era for England that has seen Matthew Mott come in as white-ball coach and Jos Buttler replace Eoin Morgan as captain.

England lost ODI and T20I series to India, both by a 2-1 margin, and then drew 1-1 with the South Africans in ODIs after the third match was abandoned due to rain at Headingley.

But Rashid says it would be a mistake to panic and implement changes, particularly in light of the T20 World Cup coming up in October.

He told Sky Sports: "Sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some. But if we maintain our mindset and have that positive, aggressive brand of cricket we're playing, I'm sure we'll do well.

"More often than not, if you have that mindset and are playing with that aggressiveness and you're fully committed to it, it will come off. I think we're in a good place.

"Why would we change? I think we've done well the last seven or eight years, we've done well in 50 overs and T20, and I think we'll continue doing what we have been doing."

Rashid said England's mindset was to be "playing as if it's our last game", adding: "I think the focus is the World Cup but before that, we've still got plenty of cricket to be played and hopefully we can run into some good form by then."

Yorkshire star Rashid said he was "not even thinking" about the prospect of playing Tests again – "because there's so much white-ball cricket".

Rashid has played 118 ODIs and 73 T20I matches, and won the last of his 19 Test caps against West Indies in January 2019. 


England out to make amends, Proteas look to catch a break

After Wednesday's opener, England and South Africa will carry on their rivalry in Cardiff on Thursday and Southampton for the finale on Sunday.

England's T20I setback against India halted a run of three successive series victories, and they have never lost back-to-back home series before in the shortest international format. They have beaten South Africa in five of their last six T20I matches, but that lone defeat came in their last meeting, at last year's World Cup.

There has been a swing of momentum towards England in the T20I rivalry between the sides, with England winning their last three bilateral series after two drawn series and a loss in the three prior. South Africa last beat England in such a series in February 2016.

If South Africa are to prevail, their catching might need to surpass recent standards. England have a catch success rate of 86 per cent (155 of 180 chances) in men's T20Is since the beginning of 2020, which is the best in the elite-level game, but South Africa sit 10th on that list with a 76 per cent record.

Buttler and De Kock chase landmarks

The runs have dried up for new captain Buttler, who has managed just 147 across eight innings in limited-overs internationals this month. He is 56 runs away from becoming the batter with the most runs in men's T20Is against South Africa, having amassed 416 to date, putting him behind Martin Guptill (424) and David Warner (471).

On the South African side, Quinton de Kock is 72 short of overtaking JP Duminy to become his country's leading run-scorer in all men's T20Is. He and the now-retired Duminy are tied for the most fifties in the format for the Proteas, both having made 11 half-centuries.

Jos Buttler urged England to back themselves and take risks after they hammered South Africa by 118 runs to set up a one-day international series decider.

The Proteas beat Buttler's side by 62 runs in a high-scoring match at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, but they were brought back down to earth in a rain-affected contest at Old Trafford three days later.

England posted 201 all out in a game reduced to 29 overs per side due to rain, Liam Livingstone top-scoring with 38 and man of the match Sam Curran making 35 off only 18 balls.

The tourists were then skittled out for only 83 – their joint-second lowest ODI total – in reply after slumping to 6-4, Reece Topley (2-17) and David Willey (1-9) setting the tone with the new ball.

Spinners Adil Rashid (3-29) and Moeen Ali (2-22) then came to the fore as England gave themselves an opportunity to win the series at Headingley on Sunday.

It has been a disappointing start to his reign as captain for Buttler, but the wicketkeeper-batter is confident England can build on a commanding performance in Manchester.

He said during the post-match presentation: "I'm delighted with the win, the guys played in the fashion we want to play with as a team. Can we do it better? Absolutely.

"I tell the guys to back themselves, take the risks, impose themselves on the opposition. Me and Liam tried to get a rebuild going, Liam and Sam Curran had the bravery to take on the options.

"The guys are bowling brilliantly, Topley and Dave with the early wickets. Jonny [Bairstow] said batting in the powerplay wouldn't be easy if we held our lengths. We haven't fired with the bat in white-ball cricket, but we know how dangerous we can be when we do."

South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj said his side must learn from a poor display with the bat.

The spinner said: "It was a score that could be chaseable, but we never adapted. We needed a good foundation, some questions about some dismissals, but it's back to the drawing board.

"I enjoy the captaincy, but [dealing with defeat] it's part and parcel of the job."

Jos Buttler must be granted time and patience to help England "evolve" as a white-ball side after a disappointing start to his captaincy following Eoin Morgan's international retirement.

That is the message from Joe Root, whose 86 at Durham on Tuesday was not enough to stop Buttler's team falling to a 62-run defeat against South Africa.

England lost back-to-back white-ball series against India before the defeat in the first of a three-match ODI series with South Africa following Buttler the appointment of Buttler as Eoin Morgan's successor. 

Buttler has also failed to deliver with the bat since taking the captaincy, passing 50 just once in his past seven innings - including three single-figure scores.

Though the wicketkeeper-batter has lost five of his first seven games in charge, Root has backed Buttler as England go through a transitional period following Morgan's retirement.

"I think for Jos and a number of the guys who've been around this setup for a couple of years, there's been a lot of change in a very short space of time," said the former Test captain.

"And that sometimes can just take a little bit of getting used to and there's not been that time yet where you can really sit and reflect and sort of work things out.

"So I think there has to be some sort of understanding towards that. But they are big figures that you mentioned, influential players, and that creates great opportunities for guys to step right up and really take hold of a few positions within the team and not just in terms of performance, but in filling those leadership voids as well.

"There are some very talented players, some great cricket minds that can go on and do some special things like Eoin has done and Ben [Stokes] has done as well for the last seven to 10 years."

The ODI retirement of Test captain Stokes, who has stepped away from 50-over internationals as he says playing in all three formats is "unst, gives Buttler another issue to contend with in his middle order.

While Stokes embodied the attacking and front-foot approach that Morgan's team embraced en route to winning the Cricket World Cup final in 2019, Root urged England to now adapt and evolve.

"I think as a team, you've always got to look to evolve," he added. "You always do. And I think we did that very well over a four-year period. 

"I don't think we just said 'right this is how we're going to do it for four years and we can't move away from that.'

"I think we grew and we evolved and developed and became good in different situations in different conditions around the world. We had to be if we were going to be consistent and take some of the best teams on in their own conditions.

"I think that's exactly as things will have to happen moving forward as well. I know Jos has got a great cricket mind, he understands this game brilliantly.

"He's going to be a great captain. And I don't think these results are a fair reflection of the way that he's going about his business as a leader.

"Sometimes it does take time for things to bed in. I don't think it will take that long with him. I just think that we haven't had a lot of the format. We've had a very busy schedule."

Jos Buttler lauded the efforts of Ben Stokes after his ODI retirement, stating the all-rounder's Cricket World Cup final heroics at Lord's in 2019 "will live long in the memory".

Stokes announced on Monday that Tuesday's clash against South Africa, which ended in a 62-run defeat for England, would be his last in 50-over internationals as he looks to prolong his career in other formats.

The England Test captain was unable to leave his mark on his final outing, finishing with 0-44 in his five overs with the ball and scoring just five with the bat.

Yet Stokes still finishes as one of just three players to score 2,500 or more runs and take 50-plus wickets in men's ODIs for England (2,924 runs, 74 wickets), alongside Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff.

Those numbers are impressive but his World Cup-winning unbeaten 84 in the 50-over final against New Zealand before scoring eight in the Super Over will remain his crowning moment in the format.

Buttler, who batted alongside Stokes in that Super Over, was quick to recall his World Cup heroics as the white-ball captain thanked his team-mate for his relentless efforts on a consistent basis.

"From myself and all England fans, we want to say thank you for everything he has done in this form of the game," Buttler told BBC Test Match Special. 

"I know three years ago will live long in the memory but every day he turns up for this team, he puts in 100 per cent. He's been a fantastic ambassador for us in ODI cricket and we'll miss him."

Buttler suffered back-to-back series defeats against India in T20I and ODI cricket to start his captaincy, before losing the first of the three-match series against South Africa at Chester-le-Street.

The wicket-keeper batsman has passed 50 just once in his last seven white-ball outings and acknowledged it may take time for his new England side to adapt to life without former skipper Eoin Morgan.

"We just haven't quite played to our potential yet this summer. We are a different team at the minute," he added.

"There is a pretty inexperienced bowling attack with not loads of games under their belt and I think we're learning about those guys and about us a team.

"It certainly feels like a little bit of a changing of the times for us, it certainly feels that we need to rebuild from another point of view.

"We haven't quite found our rhythm in 50-over cricket as we have for a long period of time, but I'm sure it is not far away and it will feel like we're getting back to where we need to be.

"We've got fantastic players with an opportunity and other guys waiting in the wings to come back. I'm very confident in the team."

Jos Buttler must be afforded time to settle after a "baptism of fire" to his England white-ball captaincy against India.

That was the message from new England white-ball coach Matthew Mott, who is also relishing the prospect of Adil Rashid returning after being granted leave to undertake the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Buttler was appointed as ODI and T20I captain following the long-serving reign of Eoin Morgan, but started with back-to-back 2-1 defeats against India in white-ball cricket.

The wicket-keeper batter struggled in a bowler-dominated series against Rohit Sharma's side, passing 50 just once in six outings and failing to record double figures on three occasions.

Though Buttler seemed to regain some form with 60 in the third ODI defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday, Mott insists it will take time for his captain to become familiar with the role.

"I think his leadership has been a baptism of fire. I thought it was a gutsy knock [on Sunday] – a real captain's innings," Mott told reporters. 

"He was hit in the head a couple of times, he'd have been shaken up, but he showed a lot out there.

"Jos brings a nice calmness. He's a hugely empathetic person. He won't be someone who stands up and makes big speeches, he'll do it in his own quiet way, one-on-one, working out what makes players tick. And he's an amazing player – that helps."

Buttler has sizeable experience as vice-captain to Morgan, who retired from international cricket after scoring the most runs in both white-ball formats for England – 6,957 in 50 overs and 2,458 in T20.

Morgan also led England to dramatic Cricket World Cup success over New Zealand at Lord's in 2019, three years after guiding his side to the T20 World Cup final.

The former England captain has moved into TV punditry, working for Sky Sports, but Mott insists that Morgan's presence is not overshadowing Buttler's start to his new era.

"There's no doubt his legacy is huge, his leadership is renowned. But at the start it wasn't like that," Mott added. 

"He had his early struggles when the team wasn't firing as well. You get judged at the end of your tenure, not the start.

"[Morgan] developed that experience over six or seven years, making a few mistakes, learning, getting better. We know we've been off in a couple of departments and India made us pay heavily.

"I felt lucky Eoin went on that first trip to Holland – he showed me the ropes, how the team ticks. He'll be a great sounding board for both Jos and myself about what he's seen from the outside.

"He clearly loves the team. Now he's on the other side of the fence, he has a really good perspective and will give us some good feedback.”

England struggled without the presence of leg-spinner Rashid throughout the middle overs against India, whose leg-break bowler Yuzvendra Chahal regularly tormented the hosts' batters.

Only four players – James Anderson (269), Darren Gough (234), Stuart Broad (178) and Andrew Flintoff (168) – have taken more ODI wickets for England than Rashid (162), and Mott is glad to have the leg-spinner back for the three-match series against South Africa, which starts on Tuesday at Durham.

"We fully respect the reasons why [Rashid] wasn't here and I think it's great he’s made that journey," said Mott.

"But we'll definitely welcome him back with open arms. It will have freshened him up nicely as well."

Jos Buttler acknowledged England are "not producing what we are capable of" after India won the ODI series 2-1 at Old Trafford.

England followed the trend of a bowler-dominated series, losing early wickets after being put into bat by Rohit Sharma in the decider on Sunday.

But new white-ball captain Buttler led the recovery with 60 alongside Moeen Ali (34) before Craig Overton's 32 helped the hosts post 259 all out.

England appeared well-placed to defend the total when Reece Topley dismissed Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit and Virat Kohli to leave India reeling at 38-3.

Yet Rishabh Pant combined with Hardik Pandya (71) for an unbroken stand of 133 as the wicketkeeper-batsman crafted his maiden ODI century, guiding the tourists to a five-wicket victory with 47 balls to spare.

Pant dazzled with his 125 off 113 deliveries, but Buttler missed a glorious stumping chance when the left-hander was on just 18 and paid a heavy price.

"It was a good wicket once you got yourself in, so we were a bit light with the bat. But the start we made with the ball gave us a chance and that missed stumping cost us," Buttler said.

"Pant is a really good player. If you give good players a chance they will hurt you and had we taken those chances we had a good hold with a long tail. But with the score we put up we had to take all our chances.

"We are not quite hitting our straps as a batting unit, but we are not far off. We are just not producing what we are capable of. So hopefully individually and collectively we can find a solution.

"These guys are fantastic to work and there is still a lot of enjoyment. Hopefully we will find our best cricket soon.

"I am an experienced cricketer but a young captain, so I am not worrying too much. I have lots to learn, and I need time to do that."

Hardik set the tone with the ball for India with career-best ODI figures of 4-24 that included the all-rounder having the final say in a short-ball battle with Liam Livingstone (27) by getting him caught on the boundary.

Livingstone and Hardik exchanged words throughout the contest and, despite the India star's wry smile upon the England batter's dismissal, he says the pair's relationship is amicable.

"White ball cricket is something very close to me," Hardik said after India completed 2-1 series victories over England in both the T20I and ODIs.

"I cherish my white-ball game. We all know England are such a good team. For us it was important to check ourselves out with our plans and the World Cup ahead.

"It was an ideal chance for us to step up and show what we have. It was important for me to come in and stop the runs and bowl as many dots.

"We took two wickets early, but they recovered well and were cruising. I love short balls. I don't fancy people taking me on, it always gets me into the game.

"I don't mind getting hit for six sixes as long as I take wickets. I am good pals [with Livingstone] but at the end of the day that's his game. He takes his chances on."

Hardik was also quick to hail the efforts of Pant, saying: "Today he played the situation. Our partnership changed the game and the way he finished the game was special."

Jonny Bairstow has been recalled to England's T20I squad for the series against South Africa as Ben Stokes takes a rest, while Matthew Potts has landed a maiden ODI call-up.

Bairstow enjoyed run-laden Test outings against New Zealand and India but was rested for the three-match T20I series against Rohit Sharma's side, who defeated England 2-1.

The Yorkshire batter kept his spot in the ODI squad for the series against India, which is finely poised at 1-1 ahead of the decider at Old Trafford, and will now feature again in the shortest format against South Africa.

England Test captain Stokes is another in action against India, but he has been omitted from the T20I squad to face South Africa in an effort to manage his workload and will also miss domestic limited-overs competition The Hundred.

Adil Rashid is back in both white-ball squads after missing the India clashes due to undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, while Potts is part of England's 15-man 50-over squad for the first time.

Potts impressed with his bowling in the five-day outings against India and New Zealand, and he will join Durham team-mates Stokes and Brydon Carse for the ODI series, which starts at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.

Reece Topley is another named in both squads after his 6-24 at Lord's on Thursday, taking England's record ODI bowling figures, and will hope to boost his hopes of featuring at the T20 World Cup in November.

Buttler's ODI side will head to Old Trafford and Headingley to conclude their three-match tussle against the Proteas, before the T20I series starts in Bristol on July 27.

Richard Gleeson is again included in the squad for the shortest format, having dismissed India trio Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant on his debut at Edgbaston.

Harry Brook is another who will look to stake his claim to take Eoin Morgan's spot in the T20I side's middle order, with the three-match T20I series heading to Cardiff on July 28 before concluding at the Ageas Bowl three days later.


England ODI squad: Buttler, Moeen Ali, Bairstow, Carse, Curran, Livingstone, Overton, Potts, Rashid, Root, Roy, Salt, Stokes, Topley, Willey.

England T20I squad: Buttler, Moeen Ali, Bairstow, Brook, Curran, Gleeson, Jordan, Livingstone, Malan, Rashid, Roy, Salt, Topley, Willey.

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