England has been dealt a severe blow ahead of the third and final one-day international of their ongoing series against Sri Lanka. Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the upcoming fixture due to a hamstring injury sustained during the previous encounter. In the wake of his absence, the team management has drafted in 29-year-old batter Dan Lawrence, who boasts over 9,000 runs in first-class cricket, as a direct replacement.
Injury sustained during the second ODI at Headingley
The setback occurred on Thursday night during the second ODI staged at Headingley, where Jos Buttler picked up the hamstring injury that ultimately sidelines him for the series decider. According to Sky Sports News, an England and Cricket Board spokesperson confirmed that Surrey batter Dan Lawrence has been added to the squad for Sunday's fixture. Lawrence brings substantial domestic experience to the setup, though it remains to be seen whether he will break into the starting XI for the final match.
Defeat for England in the second encounter
Jos Buttler's physical trouble had a massive bearing on England's fortunes during the second match. While chasing a formidable target, he was batting exceptionally well before being forced to retire hurt in the 38th over of the innings with the team score sitting at 254 for four. Although he bravely returned to the crease in the 48th over to resume his innings, he could only add two runs before getting dismissed. His dismissal effectively dashed England's hopes of overhauling the target, leaving them to suffer a narrow 16-run defeat.
Milestones achieved by Buttler during the match
Before his injury forced him off, Jos Buttler played a blistering knock of 69 runs from just 49 balls, laced with five boundaries and five maximums. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated 5678 runs across 204 ODI matches and 176 innings at an impressive average of 39.15. During the same fixture, he brought up his 30th ODI half-century to go alongside his 11 centuries in the format. Furthermore, he reached a monumental milestone by becoming the first batsman to score 10,000 runs for England in white-ball cricket during this very outing.
