Cricket:England captain Andrew Strauss played a straight bat to some provocative deliveries from his Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting as his team prepared for the third test against Pakistan.
Ponting, who lost a test series for the second time in England last year, said yesterday he saw no reason why his team could not repeat their 5-0 whitewash in 2006-7 when the Ashes battle resumes in Australia in November.
Strauss, speaking at the Oval on the eve of the third test against Pakistan, could have pointed to England's record this year when they beat Australia in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup and then won a one-day series 3-2.
Instead he preferred to concentrate on England's immediate task which is to record a seventh successive test victory and clinch the four-match series against Pakistan.
"This is the start of the silly season, I suppose," Strauss said. "All I can say from our point of view is that we are excited about our challenge against Australia and we think we can do pretty well out there. Predictions ultimately mean nothing."
On Sunday the England selectors demonstrated their confidence in Strauss and his team by announcing an unchanged XI with Alastair Cook, who has scored just 100 runs in seven test innings this season, the chief beneficiary.
Strauss expressed full confidence in his opening partner who, despite his recent problems against the new ball, has scored more than 4,000 test runs with 12 centuries.
"I think it's one of those things," Strauss said. "One batsman always seems to be under pressure one way or the other and you have to react well to it. I'm very, very confident that Cookie will come through this and he'll be part of our side going into the Ashes."
Pakistan were in constant difficulty against the swing, seam and spin delivered by England's attack in the first two tests. In response, the prolific Mohammad Yousuf has been recalled to the side, after ending his brief international retirement.
"Yousuf is a world class player and we certainly need him," captain Salman Butt said. "He will be playing on Wednesday."