Jos Buttler contributed handy 28 runs [Source: AP]
On Saturday, England sealed their World Cup semifinal berth, handing Sri Lanka a four-wicket defeat in Sydney. Bowling first, the Englishmen restricted Sri Lanka to a paltry 141 and chased it successfully, courtesy of a gritty 42-run knock from Ben Stokes.
England captain Jos Buttler lavished praise on his troops following their narrow win. The swashbuckling keeper-batter lauded Stokes for his versatility while claiming stats don't reflect Adil Rashid's impact with the ball in the tournament.
Buttler also addressed Sam Curran as a vital cog in the lineup and explained how Alex Hales' breathtaking knock ultimately emerged as a difference between the two sides.
Here's what Buttler stated
"We just had to find a way to win that game. (On Ben Stokes) These situations are built for him, he can play a lot of roles for us in this T20 setup. They got off to a really good start, and we felt the wicket would play that way since it was a used wicket. But the way Adil Rashid got us back was wonderful. Lot of people look at the end product with him, he dosen't have the wickets but he has been bowling well,
"Sam keeps growing and growing, he's a key member of this team and likes to be in these tough moments. I think Alex in that one over really took the game out of Sri Lanka."
In all likelihood, England will lock horns with India in the semifinal if the latter defeat Zimbabwe in their final Super 12 fixture on Sunday. And if it happens, we will witness a blockbuster, with two giant powerhouses clashing with each other.
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