Edgbaston Test, Day 1
Thursday, May 30, 2002 We'd have bought this position at the start of the game. There wasn't much in the wicket, and there wasn't a lot of sideways movement, so to bowl Sri Lanka out in 60-odd overs was a huge boost. And then, to see off the last half-hour without losing any wickets was even better.

Obviously Murali caused us a few problems at the end there, but we always knew he was going to be a huge threat. This is going to be a low-scoring game – very different to the one at Lord's – and the same conditions will apply for both sides. Our seamers did a job today, but Sri Lanka have a stronger attack than in the first Test, and their bowlers will get just as much out of the track.

I was especially pleased with Andrew Caddick today, who I thought bowled really well and could easily have got a five-for. I've always said, give us a wicket to bowl on and we're a match for most sides.

Even so, I thought we were somewhat flattered until about half an hour before tea. Apart from Caddy, I actually thought we bowled quite poorly at times, spraying it on both sides of the wicket. Even though Hoggy [Matthew Hoggard] got the early wicket, I didn't think he and Tudes [Alex Tudor] really hit their straps until late in the day.

It's been a tough week for Hoggy, and he and I had a chat about things last night. He bowled his guts out for me throughout the winter, and so I just told him that I have a firm belief in his ability, and urged him to be strong today. He struggled for rhythm early on, but it's easy to forget that – with the exception of Caddick – these guys are young and inexperienced, and they are going to have their peaks and troughs. But they came back well.

Ashley Giles may not have figured just yet, but I'm sure he'll have a big part to play in the second innings. We left him out of the first Test because Lord's doesn't have a big reputation as a spinner's ground, but Edgbaston does – Shane Warne has taken wickets here, Robert Croft has taken wickets here, Tuffers has as well. For the balance of the side we decided against the extra batsman here, but John Crawley is by no means out of the reckoning – he'll be in the squad for the Old Trafford Test.

But all in all, it's been a satisfying day. The rain breaks didn't exactly help us – bowlers rely on rhythm and concentration just as much as batsmen do – but they didn't hinder us either. The only difficulty would have been a wet ball, but fortunately that didn't happen.

Nasser Hussain was talking to Andrew Miller. His thoughts appear on Wisden.com, other duties permitting, at the end of each day of international cricket that England play.

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