LONDON, March 10: England’s left arm spinner Ashley Giles on Friday vowed to bounce back stronger after his injury-enforced spell on the sidelines.

Giles’ slow recovery from a hip operation has forced him to watch as Northamptonshire’s 23-year-old Monty Panesar impressed during the drawn first Test against India in Nagpur.

Panesar’s three-wicket match haul, including Sachin Tendulkar as his first Test victim, has left Giles all the more determined to reclaim his Test place for next summer’s home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

“It has been very frustrating because I don’t want to miss a game,” said 32-year-old Giles, who has claimed 140 wickets in his 52 Test appearances.

“If I was fit I would want to play in as many games as possible for England.

“It’s my job and you are also giving someone else an opportunity and that is what has happened here. I am just not fit and these situations occur.

“I have to get over it and try to get back as quick as I can and come back stronger as well so I can play for a few years yet.”

Giles is training nearly every day to try to overcome the effects of the pre-Christmas surgery but is yet to begin bowling again.

“The hip is still very stiff and I just have to be patient,” he said.

“I am training every day and we have just started to incorporate a little bit of cricket in that over the last week with a bit of batting and catching.

“I am not really running a lot still other than jogging up and down the indoor school a couple of times and I am not at a stage where I am bowling yet.

“Everyone keeps saying ‘be patient’ and ‘take your time’, but it is difficult when it’s you in that position and you just want to get on with it.

“I want to play all the time and I have done that pretty much over the last three years, so it is frustrating when a young guy like Monty comes in and does well - you hope that is your position, but now I have got to win that position back,” he added.—Agencies