Bell relishing battle with Murali

Thanks to the modern miracle of the Merlin bowling machine, England were able to replicate Murali's variations during their training camp in Loughborough before they leave tomorrow for the three-Test tour of Sri Lanka.

Bell has been preparing for Murali

Bell was so impressed with its authenticity that he stayed on an extra day for more practice.

'It gives you everything bar his run-up and action,' said Bell, who is set to move up the England Test batting order to No 3 in the absence of Andrew Strauss.

'The ball fizzes down at you and it's pretty much spot on with the one that goes the other way, too.

We had Merlin for our last afternoon in Loughborough but I booked in for an extra day so I could have more practice against Murali.

'It was just nice to get myself mentally ready for what I'm going to be up against.'

Bell, who at 25 has now established himself in the England side in both forms of the game, believes he has a plan to take on a bowler who looks set to become the leading Test wicket-taker of all time.

That is likely to happen during the first Test against England in his home city of Kandy — unless he takes seven wickets against Australia in the second and final game in Hobart later this week.

'I faced around 40 overs of Murali on the first day and the same on the second, 'said Bell, speaking at the launch of Slazenger's 2008 range at Lord's.

'I just asked the guy loading it up to try to get me out and recreate a match situation, with a fielder round the corner and other things like that.

'There is a spin wicket at Loughborough but Merlin was ragging it square and it has enabled me to have an idea already of how I'm going to play Murali. You have to find a way of surviving. The key is coming through the first 20 balls and then looking at ways in which you can score.'

So did 'Murali' dismiss Bell in Loughborough? 'Plenty of times,' he admitted. 'After a while you can see which way the ball is rotating and which way it's going to turn but there are times when Merlin absolutely stuffed me. Still, I'd rather experiment and get my mistakes out of the way now than in Kandy on December 1.

'We know we will have to play him well if we are to win the series. That's pretty much a fact of life in Sri Lanka. You have to respect the fact they have a very good side but if we can get Murali bowling a lot of overs it means we are out there for a long time and giving our bowlers something to work with.'

The return of captain Michael Vaughan to the top of the order to partner Alastair Cook will see Bell elevated to the position in the order he has craved.

Even though he has had significant success at No 6, Bell has long wanted to bat as high in Test cricket as he does in the one-day game.

'I haven't been told officially that I'm at three but I think it will happen,' said Bell, who scored three centuries at six against Pakistan in three Tests last year and another against West Indies at Lord's at the start of last summer.

'Three is the position I enjoy most and the one where I want to play for England.'

The move, he believes, goes hand in hand with finally realising the potential that was so evident when he was first called up to the England senior squad as a replacement for the injured Mark Butcher in New Zealand five years ago. It has taken a while for him to blossom fully.

'I've played 30 Tests now so I've got the experience to go and do the job at three,' said Bell. 'There is a big responsibility that goes with it but I want the chance to score big hundreds, get up the world rankings and be the best player I can be.'

It is good to hear that a batsman who perhaps has been held up at times by a meek temperament rather than lack of ability wants to put himself in the firing line.

'I've scored hundreds at six but have often ended up shepherding the tail towards the end,' said Bell.

'The best players don't get 120s and 130s, they get 180s and double hundreds. That's what I'm desperate to do and for that I need to be up the order.

'The added advantage of that in Sri Lanka is that at three you can probably come in against the quicker bowlers and get your feet moving before Murali comes on. I don't know the stats but I'm pretty sure it's much harder in Sri Lanka to come in down the order when you are facing Murali straight away.

'I guess the perfect scenario is that our openers put on big stands and I come in against Murali at three anyway! Then hopefully I will be ready for him.'