As a new ball bowler, it's my job to stick to the basics.
With the new ball, against any bowler, it's important to see off the first few overs.
It's true that I have got wickets with the new ball in Test matches, but that doesn't mean that I can't bowl with the old ball.
I love taking the new ball, but you've got to earn that right.
Opening the batting in Test cricket, facing up to fast bowlers looking to do their worst with a new, hard ball is incredibly tough. You have to be brave, single-minded and prepared to work very, very hard.
I love that feeling of being in a battle with the new ball, you're getting an opening batsman out while they are desperate to survive.
When you are bowling with a new ball, there are only two fielders outside the circle. With the old ball, batsmen don't care how many guys are outside the circle.
In India, the wicket tends to get a bit slower once the ball gets old, but in England, it's pretty much the same whether it's new ball or old ball.
I think the new ball is terrible. It's the worst decision some expert, whoever did it, made. It's terrible. It's like touching an exotic dancer and then going and touching a plastic blow-up doll. You know, it feels different.
