‘"That is one of the quickest spells I have faced and I don’t think the other battles have been as tough," said Ravi Bopara. "Bowlers might have a half-an-hour go at you where they bowl short but I don’t think anything has been as quick as what I faced."

"I was a little bit too early on it and the grille obviously jarred back and hit me in the cheek," said Bopara.

"I wouldn’t say it affected me, it is one of those things you accept as a batter. You are going to get hit now and again in Test cricket, especially when you have got someone bowling at around 90 miles per hour.

"I felt as though they were going to come at me hard, it was my only my fourth Test, they were chirping and all sorts, but that is part of Test cricket."

"I didn’t expect to play," said Bopara, whose last three Test innings in Sri Lanka were all ducks. "I just came here thinking I would be the spare batter. So when I was told I was playing I was delighted and thought this was my chance to take my opportunity.

"I have not thought too much about getting back in Test cricket and proving everybody wrong. I wanted to earn my chance and knew I had to be patient."

"Kev mentioned to me that if I ever got a Test hundred I had to do it," Bopara said. "We are in Usain Bolt’s region, so why not pay a bit of respect to him."

"I always enjoy a challenge and he was playing a lot of shots," said Edwards.

"It’s pretty hurtful but it goes with the game," said Edwards. "I don’t think guys want to drop catches.

"Andrew Strauss got dropped and he went on to get another hundred and Ravi Bopara was dropped and he went on to get a hundred. It just shows what we could have done if we had taken the catches."