Strauss predicts adventurous style

Strauss was absent, following his retirement from the shortest form of international cricket, when Paul Collingwood led England to the ICC World Twenty20 title in the Caribbean.

After 25 years of previous failure in International Cricket Council events, England arrived in Bangladesh yesterday intent on doubling up with a maiden World Cup success.

Nine previous attempts have foundered – some haplessly, like the last one in the West Indies – others with pride intact after near misses. Strauss’ team hardly raised expectation of better during the 6-1 one-day international thumping which concluded in Australia last week, following the high of Ashes victory Down Under.

But the captain believes if they bring back their Caribbean A game – from 2010 – his England can adapt their significant talent to the demands of 50-over sub-Continental cricket better than the rest.

It is likely to be a roller-coaster ride for their supporters too, because the hints from Strauss are that England will be committed to adventurous cricket – having faltered too often through undue caution.

“We’re here to win it, and we feel like we’ve got an excellent chance,” he said. “We’re excited about it, and I think the guys took a lot of confidence from the fact we won that [ICC World] Twenty20.

“The guys know they can do it on the big stage, under pressure, which is an important hurdle to overcome.

“We’ve got some pretty firm ideas about how we want to go about our cricket here, and we hope we take some other sides by surprise by doing that.”

The consensus was that England out-thought as well as outplayed the opposition in the West Indies last April and May – and Strauss, fresh from his and coach Andy Flower’s masterminding of a first Ashes series win in Australia for almost a quarter-of-a-century, knows brawn will again be no good without brain.

“We’re going to have to play well on the sub-Continent – something English sides haven’t done brilliantly in the past – but I think we have the raw materials, a lot of talent in our squad and guys who can play expansive cricket and aggressive cricket.”

The resourceful Strauss has even managed to put a positive spin on that ODI trouncing by World Cup holders Australia - reasoning the humbling against a country who have won the last three 50-over titles was offset by a rash of minor, and timely, injuries to several first-choice players.

Graeme Swann, Paul Collingwood, Ajmal Shahzad and Tim Bresnan all had to leave Australia early but are expected to be fit by the time the serious action starts on the sub-Continent. Stuart Broad, absent with an abdominal tear since the Adelaide Test more than two months ago, is also raring to go again - meaning only key middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan, among the recent injury victims, will miss the main event.

The Yorkshire pair of Adam Lyth and Andrew Gale were unbeaten on 48 and 37 respectively as England Lions trailed Barbados by 370 runs at the end of Saturday’s second day at the Kensington Oval.

Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh spun India to a convincing 38-run World Cup warm-up win over Australia in Bangalore.

Opener Virender Sehwag top-scored with 54 as India set their opponents a target of just 215, Brett Lee taking three wickets.

But Australia were unable to get close despite captain Ricky Ponting’s half-century as Chawla and Harbhajan combined for seven wickets.