Turning in a good performance

Nathan Hauritz allowed himself a few contented smiles after his career-best performance in Cardiff but the satisfaction does not include peering more than a game ahead. Despite proving himself as in international bowler, he even said he would understand if he didn't get picked for the second Test at Lord's on Thursday.

That won't happen following his high-quality return of 3 for 95 and 3 for 63, which made him Australia's standout player in the gripping draw, but it shows how fickle life can be as Australia's main spinner. "I didn't give myself much chance of even playing [the first Test] at one stage because I hadn't bowled well at Hove, but I bowled better in Worcester," he said. "Given the opportunity, I bowled really well here and people have started to think I am a lot different bowler."

England was a tough place for Hauritz during the first stage of the tour. He was being targeted by the local batsmen during the warm-up games and in the lead-up to the Test, one paper said he wasn't good enough to get a game for a minor county. During the match he was described as a "no-hoper" but following this display, which included the key wicket of Kevin Pietersen, the mood is changing and people are feeling more apologetic to a man they realise can play.

"I think there's always going to be something written about me, that's part of who I am, and part of the game, you've got to deal with that," he said. "I'm just pleased to bowl well.

"I don't read the papers a great deal because since I've been here I don't think I've had one positive word said about me. It's very hard when you know deep down that you can do the job, but people haven't seen the best of you."

He came into the Test side last November for the first time in four years after playing a handful of games for New South Wales and was still building confidence following stints in the state's second XI. He turned out in a couple of Tests at home against South Africa but was not used on the subsequent tour until the one-day series, when he re-impressed his team-mates.

"I've had a lot of faith shown in me by the selectors and Ricky [Ponting], and it's been fantastic," he said. "It was good yesterday to bowl on a turning wicket and people could see I can spin the ball now and again - because everyone says I can't spin the ball. It was good to show that and see I'm a bit of a threat come day five."

The only thing he wasn't able to do was break up the final partnership of Monty Panesar and James Anderson as they held on for the final 11.3 overs to save the game. "It is very disappointing not to get that last wicket," he said. "I pride myself on bowling well to left-handers and I had the ball for the last eight overs from my end to get those guys out. But full credit to those two, they hung on."

His only regret was not having a doosra so he could have created more danger. "I had to bowl virtually every ball as straight as I could and if they played and missed, it missed the stumps," he said. "On reflection, I'd love to be able to spin the ball the other way, or get a bit more bounce, but there's not a lot more different I would do."

The draw felt more like a win to England and a loss for Australia, who probably would have needed only one over to collect the required runs. Players on both sides reflected on the near miss last night and have three days before the re-match at Lord's.

"You can't really dwell on it for too long," he said. "It's in the past already. Obviously we were disappointed because we tried for 90-odd overs to get their 10 wickets, but we had a draw. We played exceptionally well throughout the Test."

In the first innings Hauritz out-thought Pietersen when he saw he wanted to sweep and delivered a ball wide outside off stump. Pietersen continued the premeditated shot, top-edged into his helmet and the catch lobbed to Simon Katich, the back-pedalling short-leg. "With Kevin, he's such a destructive batsman, on a first-day wicket it's not going to spin a great deal," he said. "My job is to minimise him getting on top of me. The best way I thought I could get him out was sweeping."

He expects Pietersen and England to come back hard at him. "It was the first time they've ever seen me bowl virtually," he said. "They'll have their own plans, Lord's is a different wicket altogether. They are going to play me differently, I've got to work out how I think they are going to play and combat it."