Strauss happy to be No 1 target of Australians

Everything has gone to plan from the moment Strauss's team set foot in Western Australia almost a month ago.

After two wins and much the best of a rain-affected draw from three warm-up matches – and no injuries – it appears to be England who will begin the Ashes series with all factors in their favour at the Gabba.

While Australia still wait to discover whether vice-captain Michael Clarke will be fit after his back injury and have much to prove after a slide down to fifth in the International Cricket Council rankings, England must be pinching themselves about their seamless build-up.

Captain Strauss is well aware of all of the above, but knows it will be down to him to try to keep his team's eyes on the ball from the moment they take the field tomorrow.

"We don't want to get too emotional on that first morning," he said. "It's important you stick to the plans you have talked about before getting on the pitch. I think the guys are ready.

"But one of the biggest risks in a game that's been built up is that guys get carried away with occasion."

Strauss's name has been on the lips of every Australian player over the past week, each time they have named their No 1 target.

He is unconcerned by that but knows he must stay strong at the crease, and away from it.

"You'd expect them to target the opening batsman, and they'll be poring over footage trying to find weaknesses," he predicted.

"If they want to let us know their plans before the series begins then that's fine by me.

"We've all been through it before. I've had plenty of times when a bowler goes after me and I'm pretty comfortable with my technique in those situations.

"I'm happy having the attention on me if that's how it needs to be.

"As captain, your general demeanour is important in situations like that first morning. People will look to the captain and see how he's handling himself.

"That's where experience is important, having played in a couple of Ashes series before and in other important games.

"I don't think we could be in a much better position than we are at the minute. We are used to winning and we've started the tour well."

Vice-captain and opening partner Alastair Cook says Strauss will revel in the confrontation.

"He's a fighter, he loves that - and his record at the top of the order is second to none," said Cook.

"As England captain he'll always be that target. But he's handled it so well, and the pressures of being England captain. He's a fighter and he'll look forward to that challenge."

Cook needs no reminding that his personal stock badly needs some significant runs against Australia. His mid-20s Ashes average lags way below his otherwise impressive Test match CV.

"It's something I've got to prove to people," he admits. "I can't hide behind the facts of that statistic.

"But it doesn't bring any more pressure to it – there's enough already, walking out to open for England in an Ashes series. I'm looking forward to getting those runs behind me and improving my record against Australia."

He is convinced, at the age of 25, he has far and away more favourable run-making credentials than he had when he first toured in England's 5-0 mauling four years ago.

"I'd played nine Tests then; I've got 60 under my belt now," he points out. "I've experienced the highs and the lows, and seen a lot more cricket.

"I feel as though I'm more complete and understand what I have to do to score runs, and obviously the challenge of having that experience is using it in the right way."

Strauss's opposite number Ricky Ponting has gone slimline, meanwhile, as he tries to get the best out of himself in the later years of his career.

Thirty-five-year-old Ponting retains all the enthusiasm he ever had for his sport, and is relishing the challenge of regaining the Ashes on home soil – just as Australia did so convincingly, under his captaincy, four years ago.

"I have been working hard," he said. "I wanted to give myself the best possible chance of getting into pretty good physical shape and hope that will lead to getting some runs in the summer.

"I don't think I had seven kilos to lose but I've lost a little bit of weight. I've just paid attention to the physical side of things. I'm not getting any younger.

"It was just about getting stuck in and training as hard as I could to give myself the best chance of playing and getting through the next six months injury-free."

Ponting stops well short of predicting a repeat of that 5-0 win by Australia in 2006/07 but senses a similarity in the circumstances, England once again travelling with great hope after their 2-1 success at home last year.

"It's probably very similar to the last series here in 2005," he said. "I think after they beat us in England in 2005 there was a lot of expectation about them coming here and winning the series again.

"We all know what happened in that series. I don't know if they're under any more pressure or not."

Australia (from): RT Ponting (capt), SM Katich, SR Watson, MJ Clarke, MEK Hussey, MJ North, BJ Haddin (wkt), MG Johnson, XJ Doherty, PM Siddle, BW Hilfenhaus, DE Bollinger, UT Khawaja.

England (probable team): AJ Strauss (captain), AN Cook, IJL Trott, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, IR Bell, MJ Prior (wkt), SCJ Broad, GP Swann, ST Finn, JM Anderson.

Umpires: A Dar (Pak) and B Doctrove (WI).