Need for comeback intensifies as England face South Africa
The World Cup moves to Mumbai with two of the heavyweights feeling the pressure and needing to bounce back from shock defeats faced in the previous round of the mega event.
England have moved on from their shock 69-run loss to Afghanistan at the World Cup according to captain Jos Buttler as they prepare to face a South Africa side that suffered a similar stunning defeat by the Netherlands this week.
The heavyweights clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, with the two teams licking their wounds from setbacks that have put a dent in their semifinal hopes although England have Ben Stokes back.
It makes the fixture crucial for both to recover and get their campaign back on track, with the loser facing a potentially uphill battle to make the final four.
"We have moved on and had some good conversations and the energy and hunger around practice has been very high," Buttler told reporters on Friday.
"They (South Africa) have been playing some really good cricket, their top six is really strong and they have pace with the ball. Both teams like (to face) pace on the ball, so it should really be a fascinating contest."
England will welcome the return of all-rounder Stokes, who missed their opening three World Cup matches with a hip injury.
"Ben has trained really well and it is always good to see him back. He brings a lot on the field with his presence and leadership skills. He is always someone to turn too and adds a lot of value," Buttler said.
With Stokes declaring himself fit for the first time this tournament following a hip problem, someone will have to make way and it could be Chris Woakes, who has been struggling for form in the World Cup.
The 34-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder has struggled to make an impact on Indian pitches and has taken just two wickets across England's first three games at a hugely expensive average of 67.5.
"We're all honest guys, right? We're all honest professionals who hold each other to high standards and individually expect a lot of ourselves. He knows he's not performing quite how he would like to at the minute and that's frustrating," Buttler said of Woakes' form.
Meanwhile, the way forward for England is to be positive with bat and ball, says Buttler, and play the style of cricket that won them the World Cup on home soil in 2019. The conditions in Mumbai should allow for that.
"It is a fantastic cricket wicket, so it should suit us," he said. "We want to find ways to make a play and put the opposition under pressure. That doesn't always mean hitting fours and sixes. It means can we push back when the opposition is on top and take the initiative in different ways.
"We know we won't always win but if we can stick to the way we like to play cricket and get the best version of that, we know that is the best chance we have of getting a positive result."
Statbox
*England and South Africa are almost neck-and-neck in ODI head-to-head. In the 69 matches featuring these two, England claimed wins in 30 while the Proteas came out on top in 33 encounters. One match ended in a tie and five yielded no result.
*South Africa had to play four ODIs between 1992 and 1994 before getting their first win over England in Capetown in 1996.
*The defending champions England, however, have a slight edge in the mega event, with four wins in the seven matches against the Proteas. South Africa won the other three.
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