Jos Buttler urges England’s batsmen to follow Joe Root’s example in India

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Jos Buttler says Joe Root has shown England’s batsmen the way on the subcontinent.

Captain Root was the standout performer as England swept Sri Lanka 2-0, scoring 228 and 186 to tee-up the forthcoming Test series in India in style.

And wicket-keeper Buttler, who will play the first Test before taking a break amid a packed schedule, says the Yorkshireman’s performances have been something to aspire to.

“Joe was in fantastic form in Sri Lanka, he’s always had a brilliant game for playing spin bowling and is one of the best exponents of the sweep shot, he picks length brilliantly,” Buttler said.

“He’s hard to keep to dot balls as he has so many options to score. He did it fantastically well in Sri Lanka and one of the biggest things was his hunger to bat for a long period of time.

“He had great application mentally, tactically and physically. He’s in great form and that’s great for him and the team to watch him and learn from him.”

Pace bowler Jofra Archer returns to the squad for the tour, but Buttler has cautioned against opponents viewing the Sussex man as England’s only quick weapon.

“He’s an X-factor player and it’s fantastic to have him,” Buttler said. “He’ll be excited for a big series in India but I think we have a few guys who can do amazing things with the ball.

“James Anderson and Stuart Broad are two of the best seam bowlers to ever play the game, Jofra Archer is a huge X-factor and Ben Stokes too.”

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