I SUSPECT if you asked the England lads, a number of them would say that first-Test win over Bangladesh was one of the most pleasing they've been involved in.

Yes, people expected them to win. Yes, it is good preparation for India. But I don't think you can underestimate the effort it took to beat Bangladesh on their own patch.

I said a couple of weeks ago I thought England would be made to work for a win in this series and the first Test was really exciting to watch.

It was on a knife-edge right to the end. Hopefully the second Test provides the same drama because coming out on the right side of a match like that is so beneficial going forward.

It was great to see Jonny Bairstow contribute heavily with bat and gloves and to get the best Test runs return ever by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year is an amazing achievement.

His first 18 months or even two years of international cricket, he probably wasn't too comfortable in an England shirt. He probably felt he had a bit to prove and I know he craved a run of games.

Sometimes you have seasons that set you up for the next few years and he had that with us at Yorkshire in 2015. He hasn't stopped scoring runs since. Now he's cemented his place.

Jonny is now playing how he plays for Yorkshire, which he probably hadn't done up to the last 12 months. That partnership of 127 between himself and Ben Stokes in the second innings was pretty much the match-winner.

Stokes is such an invaluable asset for England to have; that bloke who can influence a game with bat and ball. It's a very similar situation at Yorkshire with Tim Bresnan.

They just make things work and give you that extra option, to play an extra batter, seamer or, in England's case, a spinner. His 80 was the equivalent of 180 – it was that good and important.

It looks like England are going to give Zafar Ansari his debut tomorrow and I'm happy for him.

I said before the series I'd like to see him play but I have to admit, it was a great story to see Gareth Batty play in Chittagong.

It was another Yorkshireman but it was also a selection that's typically not very English. We have seen it before with a Chris Rogers and Australia, picking a guy who churns out performances.

For me, there's no harm in doing that in the future. If these guys are taking wickets and churning the runs out, why not give them a go? Batty's wickets, particularly getting Mushfiqur Rahim second innings, were hugely important.

I've spent a bit of time with Zafar and in cricketing terms he's the guy who nobody really talks about yet he's always doing a job.

He's a really good competitor and he's a decent batter who values his wickets. With the ball, he's always in the game. He's also lightning in the field.

One of his qualities is that his ambition doesn't lie solely within the game. It's well documented he's a smart boy who's just finished off his Masters. That takes a bit of pressure off your game.

Cricket is something he plays because he really enjoys it, whereas some others perhaps play it because, while they're good, it's their only avenue in life.

Having that knowledge of 'well, if I don't perform or enjoy it, it's not the be all and end all' can give you a real freedom. That's a really refreshing trait to have. There are many of similar age, me for one, perhaps don't play with the freedom he has.

Going back to Brezzy, who has just had another elbow operation. Given he's had surgery in the past, there has to be some uncertainty as to exactly how close he will get to his pace of old.

But it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him back in an England shirt. His batting has brought a new element to his game and he's a completely different cricketer now to when he last played.

He's an accomplished batter who could contribute heavily at six, seven or eight in the England team. If Chris Woakes or Stokes got injured, I can't see anybody else in the country who could fulfil that role and be better than Brez.

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