Jos Buttler denies that England's players are 'lazy' following heavy defeat by India after ex-coach accused the team of not training enough

Jos Buttler rubbished claims a lack of professionalism was to blame for England’s one-day whitewashing by India, insisting his team are not ‘lazy’. As the last rites of a 142-run thrashing were being administered to gladiatorial roars from a 60,000 crowd, former India coach Ravi Shastri said he’d heard ‘England have had just one net session this entire trip, if not any. If you're not prepared to do the hard yards, you're not going to improve.’.

England captain Buttler responded: ‘I'm not sure that's quite true. We've had a reasonably long tour, a few long travel days, there have been a couple of times we've not trained but we've certainly done plenty of training throughout the tour. We obviously try to create a really good environment but don't mistake that for a lazy environment or a lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform, do well and improve.’.

Indeed, the hectic scheduling of eight white-ball internationals in 20 days, zigzagging across India in between, has limited the practice sessions of both teams. Rohit Sharma’s world number one-ranked side out-netted their opponents by one. But the difference in quality between them on the field was stark and although events unfolded in a different order - after Buttler opted to insert India in 32 degree heat - there was a familiar ring to them.

Founded on Shubman Gill’s seventh one-day international hundred plus half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli, India struck 356. It was small beer that led by the excellent duo of Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, England dismissed them for the first time in eight attempts here. England captain Jos Buttler has hit back at claims that his team lack professionalism. Former India coach Ravi Shastri (pictured) claimed England hardly trained in between matches.

England were comprehensively beaten by India on Wednesday, and opening batter Ben Duckett suffered an injury that leaves him as a doubt for the Champions Trophy. And when Kuldeep Yadav ended Tom Banton’s first England innings for more than three years for a joint top-score 38, they fell into another spin-induced implosion. Kevin Pietersen, Shastri’s co-commentator, weighed in by saying: ‘He was on the golf course yesterday. He wasn't batting, and where have the issues come? The start: one for 60, two for 80. And then, what happens? None of them can play spin. And how do you improve playing spin?’.

Only twice previously had England chased down bigger totals but despite Ben Duckett’s inability to run between the wickets due to injury, a boundary-laden start provided a great start, propelling them to 84 - the biggest power play of the series. After Phil Salt became the second to hole out, though, left-arm spinners Kuldeep and Axar Patel combined for figures of 14.2-1-60-3. Buttler said there were ‘no concerns,’ about how his players combatted the turning ball despite the groundhog day nature of a 16th defeat in 23 one-day internationals since the start of the 2023 World Cup here.

But the completion of the 3-0 rout could have further implications with Duckett’s groin issue looking of a similar severity to that of Jacob Bethell’s hamstring - Warwickshire’s Bethell has been replaced in the squad flying to Pakistan next week by Banton. Duckett, 30, will be checked by the medical team when England land in Abu Dhabi today for a four-day break between assignments, but did not give off an air of confidence when hobbling to the post-match presentations at the Narendra Modi Stadium.