Michael Kasprowicz said Australia were relieved to bowl England out for 407 on "an amazing day of Test cricket". The hosts hit 10 sixes and 55 fours during a run feast on the opening day of the second Test at Edgbaston after being put in to bat by Ricky Ponting.
"Potentially it could have been more, the way the ball kept finding the fence and they were getting five runs an over for the entire day," the paceman said.
"So for us to be batting and off the field was a good result."
The sting was taken out of the tourists' attack after a monsoon in Birmingham last week left the surface with dampness underneath - and Kasprowicz admitted his side struggled.
"The wicket was quite slow, a little on the low side, and if you hit short of a length, the ball just sat up," he explained.
"It dragged your length fuller and we then saw a few drives - it was a bit of four or nothing.
"Being honest, most of the bowlers will walk away feeling we didn't bowl as well as we could and we would use that more as a reason than the pitch."
Kasprowicz was named in the team at the last moment after Glenn McGrath suffered a freak injury in the warm-up.
"It was an extraordinary start. I turned up expecting a leisurely day with a bit of coffee and cake and ended up having to play a Test," he said.
But he was determined that the match is not over yet.
"We'll have to bat well and we'll have to bowl well as well, but there's
always plenty of belief in this Australian side," he added.
"We've been tested plenty of times and been in these positions before -
that's what this side does pretty well."
MMIX
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