Jos Buttler was nowhere near England's Test team four months ago, but he now has a maiden hundred in the format to cherish. "It was really satisfying," he said here on Tuesday.
"It has been a long time coming, and a few months ago it was a million miles away. It’s a huge moment for me. I don’t think I can under-estimate that feeling. Personally I’m delighted, a little bit lost for words, but delighted. To prove you can do it, I think that’s a huge part of the feeling of it — not just for yourself or anyone else, but to show you can do it for your team as well is maybe the biggest thing and to feel like you belong."
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When he was recalled to the England Test team by the new chief selector Ed Smith in May, Buttler had not played a Test for nearly two years.
"I was never sure if I’d ever play Test cricket again. All those thoughts go through your head while you’re out there as well when you start to get close. I never thought this would happen, so I had to try and make sure it did. Definitely there were times when I thought that race was run. It's a lot more fulfilment (than a white-ball ton), probably. A hundred in any red-ball game – I think it's the first one I've scored for five years probably. It proves to me I can do it, and I'm hungry to go and do it again. I’ve definitely remembered how hard Test cricket is, having come back into it. It’s really tough; it tests you in all sorts of ways. This is definitely the proudest moment in an England shirt."
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England may be heading for defeat, but it was important for the side to fight today, Buttler stated. "It was very important for us to turn up today and show a lot of character and fight and not give it to India easily – make them work hard. We did that really well throughout the day - even the two guys there at the end, making sure we do come back tomorrow. It showed that, no matter what it is, we’re not going to roll over," he said.
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