Monty confident England will bounce back (From Asian Image)

Monty confident England will bounce back

9:22am Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Sport

Monty Panesar is confident England will harness the pain of Abu Dhabi into a much improved performance as they try to avoid a 3-0 Test series whitewash against Pakistan back in Dubai.

It was here that the tourists' misery began, two weeks ago, when Saeed Ajmal and then Umar Gul hustled them out twice in succession for under 200 on the way to an opening 10-wicket defeat.

It was the same but merely different at the Zayed Stadium, where England appeared to have jockeyed a winning position only to fall short when it mattered most.

There, they were bowled out for 72 - their all-time worst against Pakistan in Tests - after leaving themselves only 145, with no time constraint, to level the series.

Instead, damage limitation will be the mission from Friday onwards at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

For Panesar at least, though, there is no doubt at all that England will recover their composure this time.

"I'm still hurting from the loss," he said, having taken defeat especially hard even though he did most perhaps to help England's cause with second innings figures of six for 62 in his first Test for two and a half years.

"It would be nice to get some wickets, but I would rather have a none for and see England win," added the slow left-armer.

"I want my performances to contribute to England winning and be part of a successful England team.

"Pakistan played very well at a critical stage of the match.

"We played good cricket throughout the Test, but it was just the last innings where they performed really well.

"We're hurting and we're determined to come back in the next Test."

Panesar may conceivably be at the start of a longer term resurgence following that hiatus between his 39th and 40th Test caps.

England have a schedule packed with sub-Continental assignments over the next 12 months.

"Playing in the sub-Continent is exciting," he said.

"We have Tests in Sri Lanka and India coming up as well. The opportunity to play two spinners is exciting for me, and I enjoy playing under the leadership of Straussy [captain Andrew Strauss) and (coach) Andy (Flower).

"We have to adapt to different changes but, as a squad, stay tight and enjoy the challenges that are going to come in 2012 and beyond."

Panesar will not become too starry-eyed, wondering what he can achieve back in the Test fold, but he is committed to continued self-improvement.

"I'm not looking too far ahead. I want to keep learning and keep growing.

"I want to experience more challenges of international cricket to Test my character - and I think that will help me develop further as a player and as a person as well."