'He will be one of the first names on the teamsheet' – Buttler on Stokes' return

Chris Woakes did phenomenally well in Stokes' absence at Lord's, notching a maiden Test hundred, and Sam Curran has contributed some exciting displays with both and ball in the first two Tests. Despite a plethora of options having emerged in England's all-rounder department, Buttler believes that Stokes is a shoe-in for selection.

"It will be a tough selection for the third Test at Trent Bridge," Buttler wrote on Sky Sports."Sam Curran and Chris Woakes have won the Man of the Match awards in the first two Tests and with Ben Stokes coming back into the squad it will be a difficult decision for the coach and captain.

"But Stokes walks into most teams around the world ... I'm sure he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet. I'm looking forward to seeing him joining us back at training."

Buttler also heaped praise on Jimmy Anderson. "There's talk again about how long Jimmy can continue for. He's 36 and fast bowling puts horrible exertion on the body, but he is still very much enjoying his cricket, and is an incredible professional, keeping in great shape. He is a great role model for us all," wrote Buttler on the 36-year old MRF Tyres No.1-ranked Test bowler, who took nine wickets at Lord's including a magnificent 5/20 in the first innings.

"It's down to him how long he wants to keep playing, but it seems like he is only getting better and better with age, bringing up a century of strikes at Lord's this week and moving up to 553 overall. Murali's 800 wickets may be just out of reach, though!"

England's bowlers have been the most consistent performers in this Test series so far, and amidst hailing the seamers for their outstanding efforts thus far, Buttler recalls the moment he made amends for his two drops off Woakes' bowling.

"When these guys are on song, you feel like the ball is coming to you every ball," he wrote. "And that's literally what happened to me when I made up for a couple of drops off Woakesy at second slip with catches immediately after.

"There were some fantastic performances put in by the guys – the bowlers especially. They showed incredible amounts of skill and passion to dismiss India so cheaply twice. It's a privilege to be on the same field as guys like Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad when they catch fire like they can do. Two of the best there has ever been."