Jos Buttler has revealed how the support of his England team-mates helped him rediscover his form.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was dropped during the Test series against Pakistan, and scores of one and 11 in the first two one-day internationals did little to arrest fears of a slump.
Finding himself at the crease with the tourists 93 for four, needing another 116, and with Pakistan extracting sharp turn was hardly ideal for the 25-year-old in Sharjah.
But he responded with a brilliant unbeaten 49, carting the winning six over midwicket and sharing a vital century stand with James Taylor to give England a 2-1 series lead heading into the last match of the contest in Dubai tomorrow.
“I’ve a lot of really close mates in this team who I’ve grown up playing a lot with and for people to be genuinely pleased for you doing well it means a lot,” Buttler told ecb.co.uk.
“Everyone is very supportive when you’re going through that, and saying it will be a matter of time, so to come out the other side of that and everyone to be so supportive – it’s a great changing room to be a part of.
“On a personal level to get back to some sort of form and contribute to an England win is hugely satisfying.
“That moment of the game it was starting to look tough and we lost a few wickets, to come out the other side of that and on a spinning wicket chase the score down is hugely satisfying.
“We really wanted to get into a position where we couldn’t lose the series and now we want to go on and win the series.”
England have won only two ODI series in the four years since they last beat Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
However, Buttler is confident that they have what it takes to see off the designated hosts on Friday.
It's a busy session tonight. Dubai-based EPP lads have joined England for training ahead of the final ODI #PAKvENGpic.twitter.com/FTa92jaO4G
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 19, 2015
“I think the group is really confident and obviously excited about the challenge of tomorrow,” he added. “I think there’s a lot of youthful exuberance and energy in that dressing room which is great and I think everyone is really relishing the chance tomorrow to win a series which is no mean feat away from home.”
Chris Woakes has taken four-wicket hauls in his last two outings, but Buttler believes it has been a team effort to get ahead in the series.
“They’ve bowled fantastically well,” said the Lancashire star.
“Chris Woakes has picked up a lot of wickets and it’s great to see him bowling so well but I think the learning has been great to watch.
“The guys are really thinking for themselves on their feet and coming up with plans to stifle their players in these conditions, which is fantastic.
“As a whole group as a unit the fielding has been fantastic and I think that’s obviously created wickets for us but also created pressure which has created wickets for the bowlers.”