Ashes 2010: Strauss says England not complacent ahead of second Test

ADELAIDE - England cricket captain Andrew Strauss is adamant that his team will not be swept away by Australia here as it was in 2006, nor would the squad be complacent after securing a draw in Brisbane.

“For us to be jumping up and down and congratulating each other would be a long way off the mark. We’re nil-all in the series so this Test takes on an even greater importance on the back of what happened in Brisbane,” The Telegraph quoted Strauss, as saying after rain disrupted England’s practice session at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

“The guys are focused. The first Ashes Test is always tough for emotional reasons, but by the second everyone has settled into the fact that this is the Ashes. In fact this is the opportunity for one side to stake a claim and get ahead in the series, so for us to take it lightly in any way would be na�ve,” Strauss added.

“But, we’re going to have to improve our performance. We came back into it in Brisbane and showed a lot of resilience, which is great. But you can’t afford to be behind in matches too often because eventually the other team will convert that,” he said.

Bowling your opponents out twice is the pre-eminent challenge both captains face.

Pitches need to deteriorate to make Tests interesting and they tend to do that in Australia when the heat dries them out and they crack.

So far, Adelaide has been cool and showery, ideal weather for bowlers but not for cracks, though 100F (38C) plus has been forecast for the weekend.

Strauss said he would not be against a “horses for courses” selection, though given Adelaide’s reputation for being a bowlers’ graveyard, you wonder who he might have in mind. (ANI)