Australia’s bowlers have a big task ahead of them after resuming their attack on entrenched English bats on day three of the First Test at Edgbaston.
The hosts took control, with Rory Burns on 125 and England on 4-267, trailing Australia’s first innings total by just 17 runs.
On Friday the centurion would have been dismissed on 21 had Australia reviewed a close lbw call off the bowling of Nathan Lyon – and the left-hander made the tourists pay with an important innings.
Burns played and missed on countless occasions, too, and Australia’s fortune was summed up when a James Pattinson delivery hit Joe Root’s off stump but somehow failed to dislodge the bails with the England captain on nine.
Burns has credited grade-cricket stints in Sydney and Adelaide for helping develop his gritty style.
Burns once opened the batting with David Warner at Randwick-Petersham during 2013-14, while he played for Tea Tree Gully while taking part in the Darren Lehmann cricket academy in 2012-13.
Surrey’s captain played and missed more than 30 times during his 282-ball innings but he never lost concentration or confidence.
“I went to the Darren Lehmann (academy) which was a pretty intense thing in itself, a lot of running and a lot of batting,” Burns said on Friday.
“The guy who heads it up there always used to say ‘find a way’ and that’s probably something that stood me in good stead throughout my career.
“The time in Sydney was about getting myself in different places, having different experiences thrown at me. It’s a really good thing to broaden yourself, not just in cricket but as a person.
“I had some really enjoyable times out there, so a big thank you to all my clubs.”
Warner was one of the Australian fielders to shake Burns’ hand at stumps and applaud his milestone but the 28-year-old confirmed there was no friendship struck up during their brief time as teammates.
“I opened the batting with him in one T20 game and no, I didn’t (have a lot to do with him),” he said.
Pundits, frustrated by England’s ongoing search for a dependable opener since Alastair Cook’s retirement, were calling for Burns to be axed after terribly unconvincing knocks of six and six against Ireland at Lord’s last week.
Burns suggested it was easy to block out the criticism.
“Buried my head in the sand to all sorts – comments, media, that sort of stuff,” he said.
“I just tried to get myself around people that back me – teammates, coaches – I tried to back my own skills and obviously (knew) it’s another opportunity to nail down a spot.
“I went to someone (mentor Neil Stewart), who’s known me since the age of six … I just tried to get a bat in hand as much as I could over the last four or five days.”
-with AAP
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