Celebrating a wicket with Caddick and White

The ball landed in the gloves really softly and I thought maybe the rest had done me good.

The day before that tour game started, I felt really refreshed at training and quite alive.

When I batted I got a short one that kept quite low and was bowled just as I was getting used to the wicket.

But generally during the game I felt a lot more on the ball than I had of late.

Of course I had always practised hard but having a complete break from cricket for four days I got that hungry feeling back.

On Sunday we had a day off and then today, Monday, we had a nets session.

There are only a couple of nets - and it's quite hard to drill your batting because you don't have the opportunities to go in there on your own with a bowling machine like in England.

Physio Dean Conway will try to get Giles fit

Ashley Giles didn't practise today. He just woke up one morning and went to do something and his back just went.

It's good that it's not his Achilles which he's had his problems with in the past. He's on really good form and hopefully he will be just fine.

Obviously we won't have Darren Gough for the Test matches. You can see the way he bowled in the one-dayers that he's one of the best in the world.

But he knew what would happen when he made his decision not to tour India.

The selectors told him what the position was and he was 100 per cent behind them.

It was always going to be a long winter and he felt he needed some time with his family.

I'm not certain that I'll be playing in the first Test. I will know on Tuesday evening. Hopefully, I'll be picked, but that's all I want to say on the matter at the moment.

There will be one more nets session at 10.30am on Tuesday.

In tune

It won't be too strenuous a session - it'll be about hitting a few balls and staying in tune.

The weather hasn't been too good in the last couple of days. Overall it's been very erratic, because it was beautiful weather during our match against Canterbury.

It's been chucking it down today, though.

On Saturday night we went to watch the Canterbury Crusaders play the Auckland Blues at Jade Stadium - the same ground where we are playing the Test.

It was strange watching that and thinking that four days later we would be playing on the same pitch.

Drop-in wickets

The pitch has recovered though. We practised on it today and it didn't look that bad.

Of course, we will be playing on special drop-in wickets in the Test that are grown somewhere else.

I don't know much about playing on wickets like that. To be honest we can't do anything about it.

At least both sides have to play on the same wicket - we'll just see how it goes.

We are going in as underdogs but I certainly believe we can win the series.

We've got a good side and if we play to our potential we've got a great chance.