Jos Buttler stated that England must "dust ourselves down" following a significant 36-run loss to Australia in Barbados on Saturday, which has jeopardized their defense of the T20 World Cup. Australia made a rapid start at the Kensington Oval, scoring 201-7 in their 20 overs, and England's wickets fell after a promising beginning, leaving them at 165-6. Buttler's team, which performed poorly in defending their 50-over title in India last year, remains without a win after their opening match against Scotland was washed out by rain. Meanwhile, Australia leads Group B with two victories, keeping them on course to be the first country to simultaneously hold all three major cricket titles – Test, one-day, and T20. Opener David Warner scored the most runs for the victors with 39, and spinner Adam Zampa was named player of the match for his 2-28, including the vital wicket of Buttler for 42.
"They came out with a lot of intent and played really well, putting us under immediate pressure," commented the England captain. "It was hard to recover from there. They bowled excellently in the middle phase, took wickets regularly, and defended well." Buttler emphasized the need for England to play with confidence in their upcoming matches against Oman and Namibia. "We know what we need to do, so we need to dust ourselves down and try again," he added. Buttler won the toss in Bridgetown but was dismayed as Australia's openers, Warner and Travis Head, dominated his bowlers. Spinner Will Jacks was hit for 22 runs in his first over, and fast bowler Mark Wood also gave up 22 runs in his opening over, as Australia quickly reached 55-0 after four overs, taking advantage of a short boundary on one side of the ground. Moeen Ali provided the breakthrough England needed, dismissing Warner for 39, and fast bowler Jofra Archer removed Head (34), leaving Australia at 74-2. However, captain Mitchell Marsh (35) and Glenn Maxwell (28) maintained the momentum, and Marcus Stoinis's 30 off 17 balls helped Australia reach the 200-mark for the first time in the tournament. Buttler and Phil Salt started well for England, reaching 73-0 by the end of the seventh over. But Zampa dismissed Salt for 37 with his first ball and then took Buttler's wicket for 42 in his next over. Jacks was caught by Mitchell Starc off Stoinis's bowling as Australia tightened their grip, allowing only 11 runs in three overs. Moeen hit three sixes off a Maxwell over, briefly sparking England's hopes, but Jonny Bairstow was dismissed cheaply and Moeen was out for 25. The innings faded, and Zampa ended with impressive figures, with Pat Cummins taking 2-23. Marsh praised his team's overall performance as "outstanding," highlighting the explosive start by Warner and Head as crucial. "That was the difference in the game, our strong start, all based on our trust in each other," he said. "The boys set the tone beautifully." The top two teams in the group will progress to the Super 8 stage of the competition.
