JOS Buttler admitted he had missed playing T20 cricket and revealed the recent success of his England team-mates helped drive him on in the second international with Australia.

The wicketkeeper carried his bat to score 77 not out and secure a 2-0 series victory for Eoin Morgan’s side after they successfully chased down 158 at the Ageas Bowl.

It was Buttler’s highest international score in the sprint format and backed up an impressive summer of Test cricket where he hit 152 against Pakistan in addition to a couple of half-centuries, after calls for him to be dropped.

While the 29-year-old bats down the order in red-ball cricket, his favoured position in T20 is at the top but there was some debate about whether he would open following Tom Banton’s exploits last month.

Morgan kept faith with England’s gloveman and he has been vindicated with scores of 44 and now an unbeaten 77 during this series with Australia.

Buttler said: “It is amazing how it can turn around isn’t it if you hang in there long enough?

“I have really missed playing T20 cricket and I was looking forward to this series because it has been a long time since I played white-ball cricket. It is something I really enjoy playing, I love the format and I am feeling in good touch.

“When you play against Australia it gives you a lot of determination to play well and I think the competition for places in the side has really been driving me as well.

“The guys have been coming in and playing well and when you miss out, you feel that pressure so to come back in you feel like you have to play well.”

Buttler finished proceedings with a huge maximum down the ground to seal a victory by six wickets.

The opener, as he so often does in white-ball cricket, was England’s finisher and the full repertoire of his armoury was on show with sweeps and drives aplenty in Southampton.

On this occasion, he combined batting at the top with taking the team home, but he would be willing to bat down the order if asked.

Buttler said: “It probably is my favoured position to bat in T20 cricket. I’ve had most of my success at the top. I think that is natural, if you bat in the top three in T20 cricket it is the best place for anyone.

“We probably have eight or nine guys who would stick their hand up to bat in the top three. I am very happy there but I am also very happy to do what the team needs from me.”

Buttler will miss England’s final Twenty20 against Australia on Tuesday after requesting time off to be with his family.