KEVIN PIETERSEN: WE MUST FIGHT ALL SUMMER

KEVIN PIETERSEN told his shell-shocked England team-mates they must stand up and be counted today to prove they can handle an intense summer of Aussie pressure.

England need to bat for 90 overs in Cardiff to salvage the opening npower Test after an insipid display in the field over the past two days allowed Australia's batsmen to run riot.

Pietersen, not out overnight alongside captain Andrew Strauss, stands between Ricky Ponting's team and a humiliating sixth Ashes defeat on the spin for England.

With Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook already back in the hutch, the home side still need 220 more runs just to make the tourists bat again.

KP insists he has faith in the players around him in the dressing room but knows the Aussies will not let up if they spot any sign of weakness.

England have so far wilted under a relentless onslaught at Sophia Gardens and the signs look ominous for the rest of the summer.

KP knows if the Three Lions do not toughen up soon they can expect more of the same over the next 10 weeks.

He said: "We've put ourselves under a hell of a lot of pressure and it's up to us to stand up and be counted now.

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"We have to try and avoid being rolled over ourselves and being beaten by an innings.

"We need to make a big statement that we are going to fight and fight and fight for the rest of the summer. Otherwise it will be a long one.

"This isn't the most important Test match of the summer but we have to try and fight in order to make that statement.

"It's going to be very, very hard because they have some fantastic bowlers and if the wicket is turning then life won't be easy. But I believe we have it in us.

"I'm not going to say we will do it or we won't but one thing is for sure: The pressure is going to be here for the rest of the summer.

"The Australians are here until September 20 and they are not going anywhere. We have to try and stand up tomorrow because we're only four days into playing Australia. There's a hell of a lot of cricket ahead."

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Pietersen admitted: "This has been a bit of a setback but we have to show what we're made of now. We can look on this as an opportunity rather than something to be fearful of.

"We have a really good chance to bat out the draw and we can make a big, big statement that this team is not going to be rolled over.

"The mood in the dressing room will change with the result of the game. If we get a draw then we will all be upbeat for the series to come. I believe we have that in us.

"I sleep a lot better when I'm batting than I do when I'm fielding. I look forward to batting, I love it - it's my job. So I'll sleep perfectly well tonight dreaming of scoring some Test runs tomorrow."

Pietersen was slammed for his dismissal in England's first innings when he swept a Nathan Hauritz delivery from outside off stump on to his helmet and into the hands of a gleeful Simon Katich.

Despite top-scoring with a patient 69 KP still got it in the neck for gifting the Aussies their most prized scalp.

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Four years ago his match-saving 158 in the last Test at The Oval, which included seven sixes, marked him out as a special talent capable of delivering under intense pressure.

And England's most talented strokeplayer has no intention of reining in his attacking instincts.

He added: "The sooner people realise I will keep on playing shots, and I will keep on playing the way I play, the better.

"I looked at the dismissal from the first innings and it does look quite funny and quite peculiar.

"But I'd actually played with a lot of restraint up until that point and I've played that paddle sweep so many times before.

"If it hadn't hit my head then it would have gone down to fine leg and I would have gone on to 70-odd.

"I don't want to take anything away from my game by thinking too much about what is being said and written about me.

"We have to play positive cricket to beat the Aussies and I love playing entertaining cricket. That's the way it will stay.

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"I'm not going to start worrying and thinking about what other people think." Ponting's stunning 150 set the tone for a dominant Australian batting display that saw three other jubilant tourists reach three figures.

Their first-innings efforts were in stark contrast to England's, who have been left chasing their tails for failing to turn starts into big scores.

Pietersen refuses to accept England can learn lessons from their arch-rivals.

He insisted: "I don't think there's anything we can learn from them. We know as a batting unit we need to score big hundreds in order to put ourselves in stronger positions."

Defeat today, unthinkable on Wednesday when Pietersen and Paul Collingwood were making serene progress to 228-3 before the roof caved in, would be a huge blow to England's Ashes hopes.

But Pietersen is adamant it would not be a terminal one.

He said: "The boys were very, very low after losing the First Test in 2005. But they kept believing and kept playing good cricket and we turned things around. We'll keep on believing here and we'll keep playing positive cricket."

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