Reflecting on his team's exit from the World Cup in the round-robin phase, despite coming into the tournament as one of the title favourites, England skipper Jos Buttler on Saturday said Three Lions backed themselves to chase down the target against traditional rivals Australia. He added that the defeat, which put a premature end to his team's title defence, makes them feel that they have let people down.
England's title defence ended on a bitter note after Australia bowled them out short of the target of 287 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
Before the beginning of the tournament, England walked in with memories of their 2019 World Cup success, hoping to relive those moments and set new benchmarks.
"We certainly haven't done ourselves justice" - Jos Buttler
One month later, the holders found themselves out of the World Cup and even potentially missing out on qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy as well.
"Disappointment. Feel like we're having the same chat after every game. Some improvements again today but still short. It's a low point. To be stood in this position when you arrive in India with high hopes it incredibly tough, incredibly disappointing. It hurts a lot. We certainly haven't done ourselves justice. Fancied ourselves to have a real go at it. Incredibly tough to reach those highs [winning in 2019] and everyone knows the work that goes into that. Feel like we've let people down. You wear that on your own shoulders," Buttler said after the game."
"I think it was the right shot to play, execution was off" - Jos Buttler on his dismissal
The England team have struggled to produce an all-round team performance throughout the tournament. Buttler was on a sensational scoring run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was considered to be a contender for the leading run-scorer in the tournament.
However, he has struggled to inspire the team with his individual performance, and once again, in a must-win game for England, he was back in the dugout at the score of 1.
"I think it was the right shot to play, execution was off. Felt that was the time to throw something back at the opposition. My own form has been the biggest concern. I came in in a great place, but my own form has really hurt us," Buttler added.
England will now face the Netherlands, hoping to clinch two points and seal a qualifying spot for the Champions Trophy.
