A carefree Mark Ramprakash? It once seemed more likely that Los Angeles would reject the cadillac than that those words could ever be linked together. The pressure of international cricket and the weight of expectation meant that Ramprakash played always with a furrowed brow, a tortured soul, and a stooping back.

But as he admitted, since his comeback against the Australians at Lord's this year he has been a different player - more relaxed, more at ease with himself. Today's innings, which held England together, was made in the knowledge that there is a real catfight for places in the top order. If Craig White and Andy Flintoff play at Nos. 6 and 7 then the mathematics do not look good for two of the batsmen, one of whom will surely be Usman Afzaal. But Ramprakash not only made a hundred, he also enjoyed it and was able to banish the added pressure from his mind.

"I couldn't go out thinking today, 'oh I need a score, I need a score'. You just can't play that way. I'm happy that I was quite free in my mind that if you get an opportunity you go out and do your best, play the way you think best in that situation and stick by it."

There were long periods in the day when England were facing spinners, proper Test spinners, from both ends - Murali Kartik and Sarandeep Singh. It was, said Ramprakash, very good match-practice and a good lesson in shot-selection.

"If you stay at the wicket and poke, people say 'use your feet', if you use you feet and try and take the attack to the bowlers and it doesn't work out people will then criticise - so there's a risk in any shot you play.

"I was very impressed with the two spinners today. They've got a good consistency about them. They don't go to pieces if you hit them one or two times over the top. They just keep coming back at you - and perhaps bowl a little bit slower or a bit higher."

It was rather a mutual admiration society as Kartik was equally impressed by Ramprakash. "He really played well - I've always seen him bat this way against the spinners - stepping out once in a while. He was lucky but he stuck to the fact that he had to hang in there when the others got out and I thought he mixed his caution and aggression well."

Kartik was also impressed by himself - and slipped in a less-than-subtle bid to the watching selectors. "I'm bowling really well and hope to make a [Test] comeback." Since this would probably mean dropping one of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, England wouldn't be complaining.

Tanya Aldred, our assistant editor, is covering the whole tour for Wisden.com.

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