Playing in Australia and India are two biggest challenges for England, says Jos Butler
After losing the Ashes, Jos Buttler has picked Australia and India, where they suffered a 4-0 loss earlier in 2017, as the countries where England face trouble in playing. England will now play five ODI games in Australia and Butler has called the series as a great test for the English players.
On the last visit to India in 2016-17, the English team played five-match Test series under Alastair Cook's captaincy where they managed a draw in the first game and ended up losing the next four games to concede the series 0-4. In the recently concluded Ashes series in Australia, Joe Root and Co. faced the same fate at the hands of their biggest rivals.Â
"Coming here and going away to India are the two biggest challenges for us in the last few years. Massive challenges for us and exciting ones," Buttler was quoted as saying by ecb.co.uk.
Before ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, ICC Cricket World Cup in 2014-15, and Carlton Mid ODI Tri-series in the same year, England team visited Australia in 2013 for a five-match ODI series. After losing the first three games, England managed a 57-run win in Perth but the host ended the series with another win and grabbed the series by 4-1.Â
"The Australians became the world champions here at the MCG three years ago, so it will be a great test for us as a side. But the swashbuckling batsman is confident of turning things around in
"We won't be trying to change much with the way we play. You got to be smart and adaptable to the conditions and try to play the type of cricket we normally play," he said.Â
After the series opener at the MCG, England will play the second ODI in Brisbane on January 19 which will be followed by the third match in Sydney on January 21. The last two games will be played in Adelaide on January 26 and Perth on January 28. After the ODI series between Australia and England, New Zealand will join them for a T20I tri-series.