Jos Buttler Admits England Were Outplayed by India After 3-0 ODI Series Defeat

England captain Jos Buttler conceded that his team was comprehensively outplayed by India after suffering a 142-run loss in the third ODI in Ahmedabad, which sealed a 3-0 series whitewash. Despite moments of promise, England failed to sustain their performances against a dominant Indian side.

“Similar to the whole tour, we threatened in stages but were outplayed by a fantastic team. Our approach is the right one, it’s just that we haven’t executed well. We need to find ways to play that style better,” Buttler admitted after the match, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

India set a challenging target of 356, led by a brilliant century from Shubman Gill (112). Virat Kohli (52) and Shreyas Iyer (78) played supporting roles, ensuring India finished with a commanding total. Buttler acknowledged Gill’s impactful innings and England’s failure to capitalize on their own strong start.

“They put a really good score on the board. Shubman played a great innings, we were going to have to play really well to chase that down. We got off to a great start again, but it’s a familiar story for us. We need to find a way to extend that, and bat for longer,” he said.

Chasing 356, England’s openers started aggressively, but their momentum was derailed after early wickets. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Philip Salt and Ben Duckett, triggering a collapse that England could not recover from. Their batting lacked depth, and despite a promising start, they succumbed to a 142-run defeat, highlighting the gap between the two sides.

Reflecting on the series, Buttler praised India’s all-round performance, emphasizing the challenge posed by the hosts.

“We were up against a really good side that keeps challenging us,” he remarked, admitting that England needs to find better ways to counter strong opposition.

With this defeat, England’s limited-overs struggles continue, raising concerns ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The series loss exposed weaknesses in both batting and bowling, leaving the team with significant areas to improve.

India, on the other hand, will take confidence from their commanding performance as they gear up for the marquee event. With Gill in sublime form, and key players like Kohli and Iyer contributing, India looks well-prepared for the upcoming tournament.