After playing a match-winning 75-run knock against Pakistan in the first Test, wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler admitted that he feared getting dropped if he failed to register runs in the fourth innings of the Test.
His remark came as England chased down 277 on the fourth day of the first Test to go 1-0 ahead in the three-match series.
The hosts were 117/5 at one stage, but it was then that Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes put up a 139-run stand to revive England's hopes. In the end, England won the match by three wickets as Woakes played an unbeaten knock of 84 runs.
Buttler was dismissed after playing a knock of 75 runs, but by the time he was sent back to the pavilion, England's win was looking very likely. The wicket-keeper batsman had dropped catches in the first innings, and there was heavy scrutiny on him.
"If I'd taken those chances, we'd have won two hours ago. I'm very aware I didn't keep well, I missed some chances and at this level, you can't afford to do that no matter how many runs you score. You've got to be better, I know that," ESPNCricinfo quoted Buttler as saying to Sky Sports.
"Definitely thoughts go through your head, like potentially if I don't score any runs I've probably played my last game. Those kinds of things are in your head, but you've got to try and shut them out and try and focus on the here and now and play the situation and I'm pleased that I was able to do that," he added.
Buttler also explained as to why he chose to play counter-attacking cricket in the second innings along with Chris Woakes.
"After I saw that ball to Popey it felt like if you just try and stay in and bat the time you're going to be a bit of a sitting duck. So I wanted to be positive, try and put pressure back on Pakistan and try and replicate a one-day chase," Buttler said.
"In terms of how many overs was it till the new ball, if we were going to get close we didn't want to leave, say, 50 with the new ball to come. I thought that was going be tough work, having a harder ball, seeing the indifferent bounce, so try and break it down to try and score at four an over," he added.
In the first innings, Buttler had managed to play a knock of 38 runs.
The second Test between England and Pakistan will be played at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton from August 13-17.
( With inputs from ANI )
