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Two days ago in Dubai, we all thought we had seen the very best of Jos Buttler, as he mashed a demoralised Australia with jaw-dropping disdain. But in very different circumstances in Sharjah, the respect that he was obliged to show Sri Lanka was his defining feature this time out, as he completed the set of Test, ODI and T20I hundreds with quite possibly his finest, most versatile innings of the lot.

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On an uncompromising Sharjah surface – slow, low and nigh on impossible to force the pace – Buttler somehow conjured a masterful 101 not out from 67 balls, riding out one of the most fallow passages of play in England’s T20I history to batter 51 runs from his final 22, including the last of his six sixes, a flick off the hips high over square leg to reach his landmark on the final ball of the innings.In doing so, Buttler converted a 45-ball fifty, his slowest in the format, into a team total of 163 for 4, which England defended with outstanding tenacity on a dew-drenched night. Their challenge was made all the more complex when Tymal Mills limped out of the attack midway through his second over with a worrying quad strain. But Eoin Morgan shuffled his resources magnificently, backed by superb fielding, to close out only the fourth victory in this tournament by a team bowling last after losing the toss.England’s innings stuck on red
At the halfway mark of England’s innings, the team’s faces were threatening to look as red as their new-look trousers – a switch from their usual navy-blue due to an ICC kit-clash regulation. After losing their first toss in four games and being obliged to set the tempo rather than chase in the dew, they had dribbled along to 47 for 3, their lowest ten-over total since tournament nadir against the Netherlands in Chittagong in 2014.Sri Lanka’s spinners had applied the handbrake after a misleadingly rambunctious first over, with Wanindu Hasaranga’s second ball pegging back Jason Roy’s off stump to serve England a collective reminder of the dangers of cross-batted strokes. Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow succumbed in the powerplay too, and for one agonisingly dour 33-ball period, right up until the drinks break, England dealt exclusively in dots and ones – 13 of them in fact – as Buttler and Morgan, desperately out of form after a grim run in the IPL, swallowed their pride and focused on batting deep from an awkward 35 for 3.There really wasn’t much that England dared to do to break the shackles. Maheesh Theekshana, flicking the ball out of the front of his hand, offered no width and oodles of stump-threatening skid, backed up by an excellent pitch-battering length from the seamers, which was too short for England to rush down to meet, and bouncing low enough to keep the stumps permanently in play.Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler put on 112 in 13 overs for the third wicket•Getty Images

Post-drinks flourish
A glug of Gatorade, and a thumping drive through the covers, brought Buttler only his third boundary in 31 balls. But it also signalled a fateful shift in Sri Lanka’s approach. As if pre-programmed to go to their pre-set death plans, the seamers began searching for a fuller length, right up to the toes, which suited Buttler’s spring-loaded wrists down to the ground. A brace of half-volleys from Lahiru Kumara were smoked into the stands, before Dasun Shanaka suffered similar treatment in the 18th over, as Buttler laced him for six, six, four, to wrench the contest England’s way.Morgan too joined the party, eventually holding his own in a 112-run partnership with 40 from 36 balls despite at one stage seeming stranded on 10 from 21. A freebie from Hasaranga got him going, a full-toss on the legs flicked through backward square, while Kumara was also in his sights with a classical inside-out bosh over long-off. Hasaranga got his revenge with another googly but not before England’s captain had confirmed his game-brain was still ticking.The search for that century wasn’t Buttler’s overriding concern as he faced up to Dushmantha Chameera’s final over. But after surviving a sprawling chance in the deep and missing out on an attempted reverse scoop, Buttler received the gimme he’d been angling for from the final ball of the innings, a full toss on the legs that he launched into the stands to vault from 95 to 101.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Dew diligence
The fact that England were able to turn on their after-burners may have been linked to the sightings of a few towels for Sri Lanka’s fielders as the evening moisture began to make itself known. It obliged Morgan to get imaginative from the outset of Sri Lanka’s chase. Moeen Ali served up the first over, in which Pathum Nissanka was run out third-ball, but after some rare tap for Chris Woakes from Charith Asalanka, Adil Rashid was swiftly called into action. The change did the trick, two googlies to the left-handers Asalanka and Kusal Perera resulted in a pair of hacks into the covers, as for the first time in their T20I history, England bowled four overs of spin in the powerplay.Still, Sri Lanka kept pressing, with more zip off the bat in the altered conditions, not least for Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who greeted Liam Livingstone with a clout over the sightscreen and then made Woakes regret a bad miss at square leg by slamming him for a six and a four in consecutive balls. But Woakes responded with an offcutter which Roy swallowed in the deep, and at 76 for 5 in the 11th over, England were chipping away at their opponent’s resources.Their own resources, however, received a body blow when Mills limped from the field. Despite their wealth of options, Rashid was already bowled out, and when Woakes surprisingly finished off the final three balls of the incomplete over, he too only had one more up his sleeve. It was time once again for Livingstone to show his mettle, and sure enough, he delivered the killer blow in the 17th over, drawing a rampant Hasaranga into a swipe to wide long-off, where Roy pounced brilliantly with a dive inside the rope, before offloading for the substitute Sam Billings to complete the take.Three balls later, however, there was no longer any doubt which direction the match was headed. That man Buttler pounced from behind the stumps and pinged down the wicket to run out Sri Lanka’s last remaining hope Dasun Shanaka. England had come through their toughest assignment of the tournament with a statement victory and proven that while the conditions are still a massive factor, excellence can yet seize the day.

Ben Stokes was England’s most-successful bowler as the Brisbane rains finally relented, allowing the tourists their most significant warm-up action since arriving in Australia.Stokes claimed 2 for 31 from 10 overs in his first red-ball outing since appearing for Durham in July, as an England Lions XI batted through the scheduled third day at Ian Healy Oval. Three batters retired their innings not out in order to give others an opportunity, with Liam Norwell and captain Joe Root the other England XI bowlers to take wickets.Both sides featured 13 players, with Alex Lees captaining the Lions. Lees and Zak Crawley batted through the first session against a potential Test attack of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach and Stokes, with Saqib Mahmood also involved for England.Lees was first to retire, before Stokes struck to remove Crawley, the top-scorer for the Lions XI with 45. Dan Lawrence did not last long, removed by Norwell for 1, but Ollie Pope spent some time in the middle before falling to Root’s offspin.James Bracey and Tom Abell kept the bowlers at bay before retiring not out, and Stokes claimed his second wicket when dismissing Chris Woakes late on.Following four straight days of washed-out practice across two fixtures in Brisbane, England managed to get through 78 overs, with Anderson bowling eight, Broad 11 and Robinson 12, while Leach also went wicketless from his 18 overs.

Top order

Australia David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne
England Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Zak CrawleyGiven the weather that has been around Brisbane and the fact the second Test is with the pink ball, it could be a challenging time for those going in at the top. For England it is one of the areas where they feel a little lightweight; they can ill-afford for Joe Root to be regularly walking in at 30 for 2. A lot will rest on Rory Burns whose average of 32.30 belies some of the good work he has done while Dawid Malan’s previous experience in Australia (he scored a century in Perth last time) will be important. There is uncertainty for Australia, too, with Marcus Harris retaining his place with a Test average of 23 but either side of him are two powerhouse players. David Warner’s 2019 Ashes continues to stalk him but his home record is outstanding – he was batting on one leg against India last summer. And at No. 3 they have one of the modern-day run machines in Marnus Labuschagne who also has the advantage of being one of the players with some substantial first-class preparation under his belt.Who comes out on top? Australia, although England will fancy early inroads.

Middle order

Australia Steven Smith, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green
England Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Pope, Dan LawrenceThere is a great player on either side with Steven Smith and Joe Root, the latter currently the No. 1 men’s Test batter but Smith is close behind and with the memories of the 774 runs he made in 2019. For Root this is probably his last chance to define a series in Australia – a place where he has yet to make a Test hundred. For England to win, Root must have a big series, although the same might be said of Smith. Beyond that duo it gets interesting. Ben Stokes’ return makes a massive difference – he is England’s second-best batter behind Root – and few players can grasp the big occasion like him. The challenge will be his lack of cricket. For both teams there is uncertainty over the final batting spot; it’s Head vs Khawaja (the former appears set to get the nod) and probably Bairstow vs Pope. Either side’s bowlers will probably feel reasonably confident. Australia’s No. 6 is the still inexperienced Cameron Green, but he is a prodigious batting talent. The comparisons with Stokes as an allrounder will naturally followed, however his long-term further may yet be a No. 4 or 5.Who comes out on top? Tough to call. Probably the winner of Smith vs Root. And how Stokes goes.

Wicketkeeper

Australia Alex Carey
England Jos ButtlerAfter a chaotic couple of weeks, Australia will have a new wicketkeeper following Tim Paine’s resignation and his subsequent time away from the game. There are plenty saying it makes Australia a better team, but a Test debut in an Ashes is a tough beginning and Alex Carey’s form this season is mediocre. Not that England have a huge amount of stability in the position with Jos Buttler coming off a lean series against India, but if he lives up to his pre-series talk of having nothing to lose it could be fun whatever happens. If games are on the lower-scoring side, brisk cameos from Buttler may make a difference. Although having vastly different experiences in Test cricket, both will also have important leadership roles behind the stumps.Who comes out on top? Can’t judge until Carey has played. Might be a final hurrah for Buttler

Fast bowlers

Australia Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson
England James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton.There is plenty of narrative in this match-up. Australia’s big three are primed to go again, but now one of them is the captain in Pat Cummins as well as being the No. 1 bowler. All eyes will be on Cummins and how he manages himself will be interesting while the head-to-head with Root has all the makings of series-defining. However, Josh Hazlewood is also a huge part of the attack and will pose serious challenges. Mitchell Starc left-arm angle brings another dimension and he is a king with the pink ball while the in-form Jhye Richardson waits as first reserve. On the England side, so much will be about the two senior men James Anderson and Stuart Broad: how much can they play, can they find the right lengths and get the ball to move? It will be a last Ashes tour for both. For so long the planning was around having a battery of pace to complement them, but in the end only Mark Wood has made it. He will have to be managed carefully for maximum impact. Keep an eye on Ollie Robinson who has been compared to Hazlewood.Who comes out on top? Australia’s home advantage will take it unless England can go full 2010-11

Spinners

Australia Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson
England Jack Leach, Dom BessSpin played very much a bit-part role for England during their home summer, partly because of the difficulty in balancing the team without Stokes. However, it remains to be seen whether they will immediately reintroduce Jack Leach given the weather leading into the first Test. He has rarely let England down when given the chance. Nathan Lyon, meanwhile, remains poised on 399 Test wickets having not been able to reach the landmark when he was nullified by India last season. He has come in for some criticism from Shane Warne, but the overall record remains impressive. He will also hope Starc keeps his place to create some footmarks. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson has pushed hard for consideration but his chance will likely have to wait for overseas tours. Don’t be too surprised if England add their legspinner, Matt Parkinson, to the squad after the Lions leg of the tour is finished.Who comes out on top Australia, through Lyon’s weight of experience

South Africa were playing more than just the opposition over the last few summers with matters coming to a head this season after their coach, Mark Boucher, was charged with gross misconduct by Cricket South Africa (CSA). Boucher received his charge sheet – which confirmed CSA will seek his dismissal – on Monday, two days ahead of the ODI series against India that South Africa swept 3-nil.Boucher’s charges relate to historic and current handlings of race issues, which have always been part of South African cricket’s narrative but became even more topical since the Black Lives Matter movement’s resurgence in sport in 2020. Since then, South Africa have appointed their first black African ODI captain, Temba Bavuma, who now outlined the difficulties of being in charge of a team that continues to face issues off the field.Related

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“I don’t think it’s easy (captaining the team). There are a lot of dynamics that you need to manage. For me, the biggest thing is trying to keep cricket the main focus amongst the guys,” Bavuma said. “I hate to bring this up but it’s been a challenging period for the team, for the players, for particular members of management. There’s been a lot of scrutiny surrounding the team and surrounding the organisation, so to manage the conversations happening around the change-room and to ensure our energy is 100% geared towards performing out there, for me, has been the biggest challenge. It has been a big responsibility but has also been a privilege. But it’s not easy.”Bavuma did not name Boucher specifically and when the man himself was asked about the difficulties of coaching a team that is constantly facing off-field pressures, Boucher said: “I can’t answer that. Not now in any case.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Boucher has been advised not to discuss matters related to his disciplinary hearing as it is part of the ongoing investigation. Boucher and his legal team will meet with CSA on Wednesday to outline a timeframe for the hearing, but it is unlikely to begin before South Africa return from their two-Test tour of New Zealand, which starts on February 17. Afrikaans newspaper reported on Sunday that Boucher’s defence will be bankrolled by a group of wealthy businessmen, and though it did not name any of them, billionaire Johann Rupert, an entrepreneur, issued a tweet in support of Boucher earlier in the week.Despite what could be a rocky few months ahead for Boucher personally, he was positive about the development the team has made under his watch to beat India in both the Test and ODI series this season. “The progression has been great,” Boucher said. “We turned the corner a while ago, from a team perspective. We tried a few things in Covid times when we had to get a deeper squad and we gave a lot of opportunities to a lot of players. We are starting to reap the rewards now. It’s all falling into place, which is nice.”While acknowledging areas for improvement, such as the fielding in particular, Boucher said the ingredients in the squad could make a recipe for future success, especially because internally there’s a sense of harmony. “There are always places we can improve. I don’t think our fielding was great. But I like the look of this batting team. I like the balance. We are getting hundreds, and that’s with one or two of those guys out of form. I believe we’ve got a classy top six,” Boucher said. “And now with allrounders, we’ve got a couple that we can look at. We have an environment which is very good. The change-room is a happy change-room and the players are growing as cricketers and human beings.”South Africa will celebrate their twin successes against India, but Boucher said their feet remain “firmly on the ground”, and Bavuma, speaking from both a captaincy and batting perspective, echoed that. “It means a lot as a player. Knowing I contributed to the winning cause makes it better,” he said. “You will always be judged on your record and to convincingly beat an Indian side speaks a lot to my captaincy. But things are still early from a leadership point of view. I will take the positives but I will try very hard not to get ahead of myself.”

Big picture

Two matches in to the series, it seemed like Sri Lanka were going to make Australia sweat. In both those games their bowling restricted an explosive Australia middle order, and the second game went to a Super Over. Since then, though, Sri Lanka have lost key players to either injury or Covid-19, and Australia have cruised home twice. Sri Lanka’s main problem is their batting. With Charith Asalanka struggling to produce the sorts of innings he lit up the T20 World Cup with, and several of the other top-order batters struggling, Sri Lanka are frequently losing matches inside the first ten overs of their innings.Australia, meanwhile, have showcased their depth – several fringe players producing excellent performances. Josh Inglis, who had not previously played for Australia, is the leading run scorer in the series, while with the ball Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and even Ashton Agar have kept Sri Lanka’s batters under pressure. They’ve won the last two matches so convincingly they’ve barely needed their finishers.Related

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• Agar, the opener, wants to 'thrive than survive' as Australia seek right balance

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If the hosts win on Sunday they will have recorded their first whitewash in a five-match T20I series. It’ll take Sri Lanka’s batters raising their game substantially to prevent that.

Form guide

Australia WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLW

In the spotlight

Josh Inglis’ scoops, rasping pull shots and crunching drives have brought him 132 runs at a strike rate of 150 this series, prodding Australia forward through the early middle overs. He hadn’t exactly set the recent Big Bash League on fire with his batting, so this is a well-timed coming to form. He has been so impressive Australia will struggle to displace him once their first-choice top order returns.Maheesh Theekshana rarely seems to stray far from his tight wicket-to-wicket line•Gallo Images/Getty Images

With or without Wanindu Hasaranga in the XI, fingerspinner Maheesh Theekshana has continued to be quietly impressive. So far in his international career, he hasn’t been a big wicket-taker, though in four matches this series he has managed five dismissals. He provides consistently cheap powerplay overs and rarely seems to stray far from his tight wicket-to-wicket line. He has not had the attention of some of the other emerging players, but he has been one of Sri Lanka’s best finds of the past 12 months.

Pitch and conditions

Expect the MCG surface to be good for batting again. The forecast suggests rain will not interrupt play.

Team news

With Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood all rested, and Steven Smith out with concussion, Australia don’t have a lot of scope for changing their XI. Though they may just think about giving either Moises Henriques, or Travis Head, or both a game, as those players have not yet appeared in this series.Australia (probable): 1 Ashton Agar, 2 Ben McDermott, 3 Aaron Finch (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Moises Henriques/Marcus Stoinis, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Daniel Sams, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Kane RichardsonSri Lanka, similarly, don’t have a lot of options, as Avishka Fernando, Binura Fernando, Hasaranga and Ramesh Mendis are all unavailable. They may think about bringing in Janith Liyanage for the misfiring Danushka Gunathilaka.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Janith Liyanage, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have now lost their last eight T20Is in Australia. They had also been whitewashed 3-0 in 2019.
• Pathum Nissanka is by a distance the top scorer of the series so far, with 171 runs. Those runs have come somewhat slowly, however – his strike rate is 113.
• Although clearly one of the best T20I teams on the planet, even a win on Sunday is not enough to lift Australia into the top five on the team rankings table. Sri Lanka languish at tenth.