Jos' hurricane century leaves captain Morgan at a loss for words

Dubai - "You just tend to get into a rhythm and when everything is working well, you just react to the ball that comes down," Buttler said after inspiring England to a magnificent ODI series win over Pakistan with his unbeaten 116 off 52 balls (10 fours and eight sixes).

 While his captain admitted he was 'lost for words', Jos Buttler - with a voice as smooth as silk - explained how he created mayhem under the famous Ring of Fire in Dubai on Friday night, scoring a 46-ball hundred that tore the Pakistani bowlers to shreds.
 "You just tend to get into a rhythm and when everything is working well, you just react to the ball that comes down," Buttler said after inspiring England to a magnificent ODI series win over Pakistan with his unbeaten 116 off 52 balls (10 fours and eight sixes).
 "I have obviously trained a lot on playing the premeditated shots to try and have an option if it's not in the area. I think what it has done coming back to the white ball for me is that it has given me the freedom of not having to worry about where my off stump is."
 With scores of 23, 4, 0 and 7, Buttler struggled with the bat in England's 2-0 Test series loss to Pakistan and he was dropped after the second Test in Dubai.
 "To come back to this ground, having been dropped after the Test match here and have a bit better day is obviously immensely satisfying. It's the best I've ever played in an England shirt. To win the series for that group of guys has obviously created a lot of confidence in the changing room," said Buttler who had not scored a 50 in his previous 22 international innings.
 The 25-year-old keeper-batsman said he felt something special was on the cards when he reached his half-century off 30 balls.
 "Once I got to 50, I felt like everything was clicking into place. I knew that, if I batted the whole innings, I'd be up around the 100 mark. Everything seemed to come off - when I didn't get it, it landed in a gap! It was one of those days."
 Buttler then revealed the secret to his three incredible centuries in his ODI career - his first ODI hundred came off 61 balls last year against Sri Lanka while his second came off 66 balls this year against New Zealand.
 "I think the invention of T20s has played a big part. Also AB de Villiers is somebody who has changed the game completely. Everyone now wants to follow his lead and the consistency he shows is mind-blowing.
 "I think every player is a cricket fan and they watch a lot of cricket and see guys like him and all the others who do that sort of things and they try to emulate them."
 While Buttler paid the ultimate tribute to the South African batting genius, England captain Eoin Morgan said his team 'ran out of words' to describe Buttler's own brilliance on Friday.
 "I think we were lost for words in the changing room. So many (words) were used to describe it - but one that wasn't was a surprise," a delighted Morgan said.
 "We're very privileged to work and train day in, day out with Jos. The ability he shows there all came together for him on Friday. It was just absolutely incredible - certainly the best one-day knock I've ever seen in an England shirt."
 Morgan said scoring 355 put them in a commanding position. "To get 350-plus on that wicket really set the game up for us. A lot of credit has to go to Jason Roy (102) and Joe Root (71). The skill they showed put us in that position to be able to promote Jos up the order."
 rituraj@khaleejtimes.com