Few players have taken to Test cricket quite like Andrew Strauss.

The fourth quickest English batsman to 1000 runs, he scored a century in his first innings against three different countries and became the seventh player in history to win his first eight Tests.

As a consequence England have that rare talent in their ranks - an almost Australian impermeability to failure which will ensure the highest respect from Ricky Ponting.

Following the path of Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, Strauss cut his international teeth in the one-day team before making his Test debut against New Zealand last summer.

Playing on his home ground of Lord's, the debutant made 112 in the first innings and was only denied an historical second ton when run out on 83 by Nasser Hussain.

England trounced the Kiwis 3-0 before returning to headquarters to welcome the West Indies, Strauss scoring 137 as the hosts laid the foundations for another whitewash.

Bettering that golden summer looked an impossible task but the Johannesburg-born opener raised the bar again when touring the country of his birth, making three centuries in England's first win in South Africa in 40 years.

Having enjoyed a first year in Test cricket to compare with all but Bradman, Strauss enters the summer on the crest of a wave.

But the Australians represent a wholly different challenge and worse still they know it – Glenn McGrath and co will make Strauss' cool temperament a priority target.

A relatively slow scorer by modern standards, he can expect plenty of bowling from around the wicket after at least being slowed by straitjacket tactics in the last 12 months.

The good news for England is that this is the only weakness shown thus far by a steady yet stylish opener who made an unbeaten 52 in his only previous meeting with the Australians, the victory in last summer's ICC Champions Trophy.

Logic suggests that no player can sustain the form of the last year and this summer's visitors will not offer as many chances to score square of the wicket, his strongest area.

But Test cricket is as much a mental as physical challenge and crucially Strauss has so far excelled in both departments.