I didn't wear a helmet because I wanted to show that the bowler wasn't intimidating me, and also that's just the way I liked to bat.
I wasn't sure of the exact mindset you should have when you go into a Test match. So I probably became too defensive when I played my first Test match. Short balls in one-day cricket, I have never thought of just defending.
This is Test cricket. Being positive is not far away from being reckless. For all that the sport has become more fast-flowing and entertaining, you still need batsmen whose first instinct is to be patient.
There are times when I have felt the pressure, but at the moment I play cricket the only way I can.
The difference between first-class cricket and international cricket isn't skill, it's attitude and the way you go about things.
I don't know how I have got this habit, but I try to play one match and give it my best - it doesn't matter which level of cricket I am playing in. It gives me satisfaction that I am not thinking about others, not competing with others.
As a batter, I would want to see that the best bowler is in my side so I don't have to face him.
It is certainly not how I've been brought up and it's not in my blood to play cricket in that safety-first way.
The more cricket you play in your head, the less you perform on the field. So let cricket, the sport, be on the field.
Every game I play, I try to make sure I get something out of that match. So as a cricketer, I feel you have to move forward and keep believing in your ability.
You can't be chasing 338 and still have 5 wickets in the end. It's about mindset and the way you look at the game.
My batting mentality is to see the ball and hit it. I don't know what bowlers see while batting.
