Lord's Test, Day 1
Thursday, July 25, 2002 I've enjoyed a good year at Lord's, apart from the B&H final where I got a duck, and to get my second hundred there in two weeks was fantastic. We batted well today, and although it could have been better, it could also have been a whole lot worse.

The press have made a hell of a lot of my batting at No. 3, but people forget that I've spent most of my career at that position, and it was only with the emergence of Mark Butcher that I shifted down a place. And when Trescothick gets back, I'll drop back down the order again. It really doesn't bother us – what's more important is to have scored my 11th Test hundred, and my second at Lord's. These are the numbers that matter.

We had a lot of injury problems coming into this game, though with the exception of Tres they were mainly to the bowlers. So it was important that we focussed on the batting today – we needed to get a good score on the board, and hopefully we'll continue that tomorrow. I was at the crease quite early in the day, but these things happen when you're in the top three.

But to be honest, I don't really mind. I'm quite a nervous bloke and I don't like waiting around during a long partnership – however good it is for the team, it doesn't help my nerves one bit. I often play my best when I'm in early on – like at Christchurch last winter when I was in in the first over.

John Crawley had a good innings. He's a class act, and he's had a good season with the bat. He'll be disappointed not to have gone on to make a hundred, but it was nice to put on a partnership with him – I haven't batted with him very often. He was composed at the crease, and batted beautifully.

We've moved on quite a bit since Mohali, and the first Test of our last series against India. We had a lot of inexperience in that side, and to have the likes of John and Alec Stewart in the side is a huge bonus. We were 200 for 3 at one stage of that game as well, but the circumstances were slightly different then. Still, we are always wary of a side like India – with the second new ball they can be quite a threat. The press made a quite a bit of them playing just the one spinner, but that's not really my business. They've got their own pressures and problems – I'll stick to captaining my own team.

Stewie's reception as he came out to bat was great, and it gave the whole team a lift. It's been a great week for Alec, with all the records he's breaking, and it's one that he'll remember for the rest of his life. To go past Gooch, one of his heroes, meant a lot to him, and hopefully he'll mark the occasion with the sort of performance he put on at Old Trafford two years ago.

I had a few problems in the final session when my hand started to cramp up a bit – just like it did in the NatWest final. It's a bit of a worry – I don't know whether it's a dietary thing or whatever, but it's something I need to look into. Hopefully I'll be pick up where I left off this evening, and post a big one.

Click the link on the left-hand side of the page for an audio version of the interview

Nasser Hussain was talking to Andrew Miller. His thoughts will appear on Wisden.com, other duties permitting, at the end of each day of England's international cricket this summer.

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