After enacting one of the great escapes in Test cricket in Cardiff, Monty Panesar said he had been working on his batting which paid off but did not bat like Indian swashbuckler Yuvraj Singh in England's drawn Ashes opener.
"I didn't quite play like Yuvraj Singh, which Graeme Swann said about me the other day, but I've been working hard on my batting and it paid off," Panesar wrote in 'Daily Mail' referring to Swann's comment on the second day of the Test that he batted like Yuvraj.
Panesar and James Anderson resolutely faced 69 balls in 40 minutes for the last wicket to save the first Ashes Test and the cricketer of Indian origin feels "fantastic to play my part in this great escape".
"I'm in the England side for my bowling, but I'm so pleased that I could contribute with the bat when we were in trouble," Panesar said.
It was a testing time for Panesar, much criticised for his batting and fielding skills, to go out and enact something which not many people expect from him.
"When I was sitting there in the dressing room, padded up, it was a nerve-wracking time. I just kept counting down the overs while Colly and Jimmy were batting, knowing that we were getting closer and closer to snatching a draw," Panesar said.
Panesar would not, however, credit any batsman outside his country for the gritty determination which he and James Anderson showed by surviving 69 balls and 40 minutes to save the day for England.
"Collingwood is my batting 'buddy' and he's done so much to help me improve. All the things we've worked on together -- like my back-lift and playing straight down the line of the ball -- definitely helped me. I kept thinking about all the advice he (Collingwood) had given me while I was out there," Panesar said.
He also credited the Cardiff crowd for supporting him.
"All that support just made me think: 'Keep focusing, make sure you stay out there and play defensively, don't attack'."
