| Birmingham (UK), Aug.9 (ANI): Essex middle order batsman Ravi Bopara knows he has only one match to show to make him an England regular. Bopara, at 26, has managed to keep the emerging hordes of exciting young players, led by James Taylor, at bay for now with his recall to replace the injured Jonathan Trott in the third Test against India. “It's not rocket science to know Trotty will come straight back when he is fit because he's a classy player. But that doesn't put any extra pressure on me. You can want it too much. I'm 26 and this would be the ideal time for me to crack it, but I can't think of it as my last opportunity,” the Daily Mail quoted Bopara, as saying. “I've wondered about whether I will miss the boat but I have to remember that it's just a game of cricket. Whether I score runs or not doesn't really matter. What is meant to be is meant to be,” he added. Bopara got the nod partly because of his ability to provide a proper bowling back-up option to England's four-man attack, but mainly because of a superlative 173 last week for Essex against Leicestershire - his third championship ton of the season. The fact the visitors were then dismissed for 34, with a certain James Taylor scoring a duck, showed the Southend wicket was far from easy to bat on. “That was crucial to me being here now. I certainly enjoyed that innings. I got into a zone and I honestly felt I couldn't get out,” Bopara said. Now he has to show England he is capable of the professionalism that is a feature of the Flower-Strauss regime. (ANI) |