Nottingham, July 28 (IANS) England captain Andrew Strauss is aware that India tend to come back harder after a loss, and said they cannot take the visitors for granted in the second Test beginning here Friday.
India won here at Trent Bridge four years ago to secure a series win, and Strauss is wary of another repeat like that.
‘They are going to come back harder at us. Their records speak for itself.. We nearly missed out on a win at Lord’s four years ago and they beat us convincingly here,’ said Strauss on the eve of the second Test.
‘They would try to prove to the world they are better than they were last week, and I am sure they would be. Four years ago, India never let us come back in the match here. They batted exceptionally well and showed a competitive spirit. They showed they were not in England to make numbers. We have learnt our lessons.’
England posted a 196-run victory at Lord’s in the first Test, courtesy an outstanding bowling performance. Strauss said maintaining pressure with the ball will be crucial to their chances in this match as well.
‘The key is to bowl accurate and if there is something in the wicket, then to bowl them out cheaply. If there is no help, we will look to contain the batsmen. Batsmen score freely when bowlers don’t bowl well. If batsmen want to break the shackles, they need to take risks.’
On the fitness of speedster Chris Tremlett, Strauss said: ‘He (Tremlett) has a hamstring niggle but he should be fine. We would wait till early tomorrow morning for his availability.
‘Bresnan hasn’t let anyone down. He was outstanding in Australia and he is getting better and better. In a way, he is very unfortunate not to be playing. I am sure he will do a good job if Tremlett is not able to recovers in time.’
England were in serious trouble in second innings with their top five batsmen departing for 62 runs. Strauss called on his team to be more consistent in the remaining matches.
‘Getting to that situation wasn’t ideal. We let India come back in the match and dropped a few catches at crucial junctures. This is something we must change,’ Strauss said.
‘However, we are well prepared for another good performance. We did it in Australia and have been doing that in the last 18 months.’
