I once asked former Australian Grand Slam winning tennis player John Newcombe about serve-volleying on clay. “Serve-volleying is a state of mind,” replied Newcombe, “you have to be prepared to be passed from time to time.”

This was an interesting reply and I thought, “That’s like playing short-pitched bowling.” As a young cricketer you have to learn how to play short-pitched bowling. On reaching international level you have to have a plan for playing the short ball. Any plan, whether it’s attacking or conservative, should involve a positive state of mind but it also includes keeping your eye on the ball. If you take your eye off the ball it can be a painful experience as Usman Khawaja discovered at the Adelaide Oval, where West Indies debutant Shamar Joseph hit him on the jaw.