England wicketkeeper batter Jos Buttler has said that he and the entire English wouldn’t want to go back home being thrashed 5-0 in the Ashes and hence the motivation for the team is now to play well in the remaining two games and avoid the whitewash.
"We've not competed or played the cricket we wanted to at the start of the tour. We're not gelling as a group and individually playing well enough to compete with Australia. We certainly don't want to be a team to lose 5-0,” he said in a media meet up on January 02nd.
Buttler has not been in good touch with the bat much like his other teammates, but his work behind the stumps has been equally disappointing that has hurt him even more. With the bat, the 31-year-old averages only 19.20 this series across the three Tests. In Adelaide, though he did show some character to try and save the game, playing more than 200 deliveries for his 25 and getting out hit wicket, unfortunately.
"It's a very lonely place dropping a catch. It's one of the worst feelings in cricket, letting down your mates. It doesn't just hurt you, it hurts the whole team. You've certainly got to be able to be very strong with your character to try to come through that. Especially when you're wicketkeeping, there's nowhere to hide,” said Buttler.
But even after the poor showing, the Lancashire man is determined to play the longer format and called it motivating enough to keep trying to put in better performances.
"It's certainly my ambition. I don't think I'd have put as much into it as I have done if it wasn't. I have fantastic family support - they're very supportive of me and my career and make a lot of sacrifices for that. That's one thing that gives you a lot of motivation and drive to try to make it all worth it,” he said.
The fourth Test between Australia and England will begin from January 05 at the SCG.