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Bopara: KP absence is no burden

The Essex right-hander Ravi Bopara said: "I feel comfortable at number three. I’ve got used to it. I didn’t do number three much before but it’s something you get used to pretty quickly.

"Whatever number you get sent in, if you go in there a few times, you get used to it pretty quickly.

"Do I feel under pressure? I’ve not felt bad once at the crease during this series. It is not like I’ve scratched around or anything like that.

"I’ve felt like I’ve got off to good starts and then something has happened. But that is cricket. That has happened to me in the past and it is going to happen to me in the future.

"It’s only two Tests. It wasn’t long ago that I got three hundreds in a row."

Bopara added: "I don’t feel any extra pressure to perform because ‘KP’ is out. Not at all.

"The key is not to put extra pressure on yourself. If anything, you want to take as much pressure off yourself and go out and perform to the best of your ability."

He said: "I think Australia bowled really well in that session. You’ve got to respect bowlers if they bowl well and, if they bowl badly, you try putting the ball away.

"I’ve not reined things in because I’m at number three. They just didn’t give us much to hit. We just respected what was coming down at us and it was important then not to lose two or three quick wickets.

"I haven’t been playing more conservatively. I’ve been playing natural and if I see a bad ball, I put it away. I don’t think I’ve been playing conservatively at all.

"I scored 30 odd off 50 balls in the first Test and 18 off 18 balls in the first innings at Lord’s. It was only the second innings at Lord’s that I reined it in a bit because they bowled well."

He said: "We played a warm-up game here against Warwickshire and it was quite a supportive pitch for the bowlers and we bowled them out for 100.

"This is a Test match pitch. It is obviously prepared a bit better. There is more time going into it so I would imagine it would be a good wicket.

"It might be hard to force a result but that is where a good spinner comes in to bowl a lot of overs and hopefully produce good spells where he takes the odd wicket or two to break up partnerships.

"It is probably going to be one of those toils, that is what Test cricket is all about, and probably go down to the wire as well."

Bopara added: "Do England have an advantage in the spin department? Hauritz has bowled really well. We don’t under-estimate him but then again our boys have had recent success as well.

"Swann bowled really well against the West Indies and Panesar is back on the scene and in the nets he has been top drawer."

He said: "Judging by some of the children I’ve seen today, the scheme is making a real difference. There was lots of energy and some decent little cricketers. It’s great to see kids getting stuck in and enjoying themselves."

 

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