Jos Buttler, who now speaks with the authority of an England vice-captain, was never going to take anything for granted at the close of play on Sunday even though four of the 10 Sri Lankan wickets required to win the final Test had already been taken. But he was happy to acknowledge that a whitewash “would be a fantastic achievement”.

“That’s been the focus of our side and we have stuck to everything we wanted to do and that means staying patient with the ball,” he said. “Winning three Test matches here would be a great step forward. Before the series Sri Lanka would have been the favourites after beating South Africa here.”

Buttler is happy comparisons are now being drawn with England’s successful one-day side, of which he has been a part for half a decade. “There is a fantastic environment in the dressing room. We are all heading in the same direction and enjoying one another’s company,” he said, while noting that this has been the case for three or four years with the one-day side.

He has experienced the thrills of excelling in white-ball cricket for England and amid the melodrama of the Indian Premier League. So it is uplifting for those who cherish the longer game to hear Buttler volunteer what returning to the Test side means to him. “I’ve really enjoyed playing Test cricket again. It wasn’t on my radar at the start of the summer. I was a bit like Ben Foakes this winter, who was expecting to have six months off.” Somehow that has helped both of them approach the challenge with a fresh mind.

Buttler has handled his return to the Test team with great maturity. He explained how it was not really possible to merely transpose his attacking instincts to the Test arena: “It is not a case of playing in that fashion all the time. I have to try to play according to the situation. And I guess that I now trust my defence more.”

The great bonus for England is that Buttler is clearly relishing the challenge of adjusting his game and that was evident in his innings on Sunday. England were wobbling badly at 39 for four and the field was deep-set. He still scored quickly but there were only three boundaries in his 64. He was content to pick up those singles like the mature professional that he has become. And like any good old pro he was never going to be critical of the officials – both umpires Sundaram Ravi and Chris Gaffaney have struggled in their decision-making in this match. “It’s tough for them out there,” said Buttler, who offered one helpful suggestion: “Maybe the third umpires can help out with those no-balls.”