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.
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.
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.
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.
