Strauss wants aggressive approach

Andrew Strauss: 'If our batsmen learned one salutary lesson last year, it was that the only way to play the Aussies is to take them on' © Getty Images

Andrew Strauss says England must fight "fire with fire" during the Ashes and not be overawed by the reputations of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Strauss, who is Andrew Flintoff's vice-captain for the tour, has called on his team-mates to repeat their efforts of the 2005 series when an aggressive approach was a key part of regaining the Ashes. Although Warne took 40 wickets, the England batsmen were not afraid to attack him and Strauss wants more of the same.

"It's easy to get lured into thinking that every ball from [Shane] Warne or [Glenn] McGrath is going to be an unplayable delivery, and that's a trap we must try to avoid," he told the Daily Telegraph. "One of the plus points of our performances against Australia last year was we did play the ball rather than the bowler, which is going to be important again this winter.

"If our batsmen learned one salutary lesson last year, it was that the only way to play the Aussies is to take them on. When you try to hang around or you are content just to occupy the crease and survive, you are liable to come unstuck because they just swarm all over you. But if you answer fire with fire - and pick the right balls to go after - it is possible to live with them as Michael Vaughan showed on the last Ashes tour."

England are due for their first serious net session on Tuesday ahead of the tour opener against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on Friday. The first Test begins in Brisbane on November 23.