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Exchanging banter is part of the game: Bresnan
England pacer Tim Bresnan says with pitches in India offering little or no assistance to pacers, he and other bowlers in the team are bound to use verbal volleys to intimidate batsmen in the ongoing ODI series.
England's fast bowling, which seemed unplayable when India toured England in July-August, has not delivered in the ongoing series in which the visitors have lost the first two ODIs.
Bresnan said some friction bound to take place when pacers don't get the bounce from the pitches to rattle rival batsmen.
"It's part of the game. As a fast bowling unit, we can't really use the ball to intimidate as much as we'd like in India, with it not bouncing so high. So we have to do other things to get into the batsman's bubble, whether it's a little bit of a word or a look or a stare. It's all handbags, to be honest. No one really pays much attention," Bresnan was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.
'Indians have enjoyed the home advantage'
But Bresnan insisted that the players from the two teams remain friends.
"The Indian board charter flights for us and we all fly on the same plane, so we'll be at the airport together and we'll have a chat. It's just when you cross onto the field that it's not as friendly, but that's exactly how it is at an elite sporting level," Bresnan said.
The imposing pacer said the Indians have enjoyed the home advantage like the English did earlier this summer.
"Obviously they feel more comfortable here. I think that's a massive thing. As well as the fact that we just haven't played well enough to beat them.
'Accuracy is the key on Indian pitches'
Bresnan said on Indian pitches, accuracy is the key as any stray delivery is punished by the batsmen.
"You've got to nail your basics. There's not a lot of room for error, and as soon as you do stray a little bit in width or length, you get punished," he said.
"You've got to be as accurate as you can be. That should suit the way we bowl, but we've let a few things slip. You've got to nail your yorker in India, otherwise it goes 10 rows back," he added.