The first two days of the Test series reflected, I think, how close this series is likely to be. India had the best of day one and we then fought back well on day two.

Of course the one-day series was also close at 3-2 and even though some may say India had won it before the fifth match even began, we feel we should have won two of the matches we lost in Guwahati and Gwalior.

Maybe the final against India at the Twenty20 World Cup, when we lost a match that was in our hands at the end, affected us more than we think. There is something in one-day cricket that we have to work on and make sure we don’t keep giving away the initiative when we have worked so hard to get into a winning position.

In terms of the Test series, we feel 231 was a good score on that first day in Delhi because they were very difficult batting conditions. Those hazy conditions made batting tough though playing with a red ball was easier than it would have been with a white one.

The innings by Misbah-ul-Haq (his 82 in the first innings) was very mature and he seems to be an ideal replacement for Inzamam. He can play the big shots like we saw at the Twenty20 World Cup, but when we need a more defensive innings he can play that too, like we saw in Delhi. He has waited a long time for his chance so I am sure he is now determined to make the most of his opportunities.

We are enjoying being in India and the challenge of the matches, especially as the games are in India. It’s funny that we enjoy playing India more in India and they enjoy playing us more in Pakistan purely because of the pressure from both sets of fans when we are at home. But the rewards are there if you can perform well as a player and team. There is so much media coverage that these chances can make stars of players.

There is a more relaxed environment when you’re overseas. We have been able to go shopping, go to the cinema to watch Indian movies and generally move around a lot more freely than we can in Pakistan. Maybe it is the same for the Indians when they come to Pakistan. I have really enjoyed Delhi as I have been here four or five times now and have made a quite a few friends, the same as Dubai, where we have also played a few times.

We have been getting on with the India players well though there hasn’t been too much socialising. I speak regularly to guys like Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Dravid but we haven’t been to dinner or anything like that. We might just sit together at functions where the teams are both invited. Spirit amongst the players is good, though.

Back to the cricket, as I said I think the Test series will be very tight. The early starts take some getting used to though, particularly for batsmen. These 9.30 starts mean that the wickets are very juicy early on, the ball seams around and the fog can make things tough also.

I enjoyed the 11 o’clock starts in England and would prefer to see Tests starting at this time more in the sub-continent also. In England you don’t have to leave your hotel in the morning until 9.00 or 9.15, which is nice. Here we are out by around7.30! Matches should start at 10am at the earliest.

I know it gets dark a lot earlier here but we can put the floodlights on for the last session as has happened in a few Tests already and what happens regularly in one-day cricket also. Delhi doesn't have lights but most of the grounds do so I don’t see why this cannot happen.