South Africa vs England 2019-20 | 6 biggest takeaways from the 4-Test series

#1 Buttler nearly out of Test team

Buttler endured a miserable time in this series

The only thing that would trouble England about this series is the poor performance of Jos Buttler. In 2018, the England selection committee took the gamble of bringing him back into the Test team on the basis of his IPL form.

This worked and Buttler emerged as an impact player in the longest format also. But this series suggested that succeeding consistently at this level may not be possible for the wicketkeeper-batsman. The door is now open for both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.

Bairstow is a quality player but may not be very good with the gloves. Foakes, on the other hand, is a professional keeper who is also a very handy batsman. He scored a hundred on debut in Sri Lanka in 2018 but was subsequently dropped due to poor returns.

But, with Buttler now all but out of the playing XI, time may be ripe for giving him a second chance. In fact, both Foakes and Bairstow may get opportunities in the foreseeable future. Since England’s next destination is Sri Lanka, it may well be Foakes who gets a go first.