Pietersen ready for his toughest Test

Kevin Pietersen has not backed away from any of the challenges that have been thrown his way during his dramatic start to international cricket - from playing in front of a baying crowd at Johannesburg to blasting England over the winning line against Australia - and he is now ready for the ultimate challenge: his Test debut at Lord's on Thursday.

"I've always said I want to challenge myself against the best and see where I stand." Pietersen said during England's pre-series press gathering in London. "I played OK against them in the one-dayers and it's just a case of going out there. It will be good to see how I stand up against them."

He has no regrets that he starts against Australia, despite missing out on some stress-free runs against Bangladesh. "It may have been easier to get a hundred against somebody else but you don't know where you are," he said. "To get one against Australia would be extra special.

"I've been through two tough experiences, in South Africa and now I've been chucked in against Australia in one-day cricket. It might have been easier going in against someone else but I look forward to the challenge. They are a great side with great players and are over here to do a job. They will probably come harder at me now because of what I did against them in the one-dayers. That will obviously be a bigger challenge for me and hopefully I can conquer the challenge."

The Australians have already focused on Pietersen and feel they have gained useful insights during the one-day series. John Buchanan, the Australia coach, told Cricinfo that he could see a clear weakness in his game. "Look, Pietersen is obviously integral in one-day cricket, but we've no doubt he's a very poor starter and that gives us one or two areas to work with," he said.

"The one-day arena seems to suit his style of play, and I haven't really seen him in the longer form of the game but, I suppose, he has longer to play and stay at the wicket and time to score more runs as well. He is certainly one of those confidence players and he wants to take on Australia. The England selectors have given him his chance."

Pietersen was the centre of attention at England's team hotel and his friendship with Shane Warne - after their time at Hampshire - has created much interest about what Pietersen might be able to tell his team-mates. But he insists he has no magic formula for facing Warne, who has taken 132 wickets in 26 Ashes Tests: "I don't know which is the best way to play him, you should probably ring Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara if you want to find that out, not me. I've watched Warney a bit, I know how he looks to take wickets, he was pretty open with me because he's a mate of mine. That isn't to say that it won't pitch in the rough and knock the top of off stump, it's a funny game this Test cricket, anything can happen."

However, he did say that he would be happy to pass on any bits of information if he is asked and has no doubt that Warne will be filling in any blanks the Australians have about him. "I'll be offering some sort of advice if people ask me. He will probably do the same because he is looking to get me out, he is looking to win the Ashes, but hopefully I'm not going to let him do it."

Warne has openly said how he would like to claim Pietersen as his 600th Test wicket - he currently has 583 - and Pietersen admits it could be a bit strange when he faces up to him, especially as Warne is not shy of having a chirp at the batsmen. "I don't know what it will be like," he said. "When I faced him last month for Hampshire [in England's one-day warm-up match] it was pretty funny but I tried not to see the funny side because I was trying to get the job done as we were in a bit of trouble. It will be fun, I'm looking forward to it, and it will be enjoyable."

While Pietersen will be battling on the field with Warne and the rest of Australia's attack he believes what happens off the field - in the stands - can have a huge bearing on the outcome of the series. "If the crowd can get behind us from the first ball and replicate what the Rose Bowl crowd did [during the Twenty20 international] it would be fantastic. It will pick the boys up, not that I'm saying they won't be up for the Test, it will be massive, but if the crowd can get behind the players and give them stick from ball one it would be brilliant."

But he added that he is not going to get drawn into a sledging war and believes England have to concentrate on playing tough cricket. "Who am I to start abusing these blokes, they are a great side, we are out to play hard, tough cricket to make sure that we stand up and be counted and are not bullied," he said. "That is how we play and that's how we are going to go about it. There is no point just going up and verbally abusing them because I don't think that will get to them anyway. It is just a case of play good, positive cricket."