It's very important in international cricket to be able to hold a bat, not just hold up an end, but have the ability to score runs.
In tennis ball cricket, even it's hit from the toe of the bat, the ball still travels a lot, but in normal cricket, it has to be the middle part of the bat, so it requires a lot of work.
I need at least two months to try and figure out where the centre of the bat is.
I had great control, I never missed hitting the other's fellow bat.
In South Africa, you can get away sometimes because of the bounce. You may get away with full wide balls. In India, it does not bounce and finds the middle of the bat and goes flying to point or extra cover for four.
You feel a lot more in your hands if the pitch gets in on you and busts you in the handle. It stings. But when you catch it square, it doesn't seem like you feel it as much.
A lot of folks would say that if I had been a little more selfish with my bat, I would have had a much bigger average. But that doesn't worry me.
For an opening batsman, it's important to hit a few balls in the middle of the bat and get a few boundaries going.
