Captains' reactions after England defeated Pakistan by six wickets in Sharjah on Tuesday to take an unbeatable 2-1 lead in their four-match one-day international series.

Jos Buttler returned to form at last as England defeated Pakistan by six wickets to take an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the four-match one-day int-ernational series.

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England took six wickets for 29 runs as they bowled Pakistan out for 208 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium last night.

Then, though, they still had to bat well on a wearing pitch – and James Taylor (67no) and Buttler (49no), so short of runs for much of this year, answered the call in an unbroken century stand.

Fittingly, Buttler hit the winning six in the 41st over, to finish just one run short of his first half-century in his last 22 international innings.

For Taylor, it was a further end-orsement of his claims in all formats, while for Buttler, with only 29 runs in his previous five ODI attempts and following his dropping as Test wicketkeeper, it was a merciful return to productivity.