Strauss up for new role

Andrew Struass will be kept apart from Alastair Cook (behind) in the batting order

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Andrew Strauss is happy to take on a different role in England's top order as he attempts to plot a successful return to international cricket against New Zealand.

The Middlesex left-hander enjoyed an outstanding start to his Test career four years ago when he hit five centuries in his first 12 appearances and seemed set for a lengthy career as England's opener.

Throughout that period and his subsequent loss of form when he went 25 successive Test innings without a century - which led to him being dropped for the tour to Sri Lanka before Christmas - Strauss has always batted as an opener.

But he now seems poised for a different role in England's line-up having been named at number three for the final warm-up match before next week's first Test, which is traditionally a side as close to the Test line-up as possible.

Instead of Strauss walking out at the start of the innings, England have decided to replace him with captain Michael Vaughan at the top of the order and keep the successful partnership Vaughan formed with Alastair Cook in Sri Lanka intact.

"The thinking behind it is that Alastair and myself are quite similar players in a way and that possibly makes it easier for bowlers to settle into a rhythm against two very similar styles of batsman," explained Strauss, who averaged just 35 as a partnership with Cook in 14 Tests as openers together.

"Alastair and Vaughany seemed to work as an opening combination pretty well in Sri Lanka and they are also very different types of players as well.

"From my point of view I've never seen why openers should be pigeon-holed purely as openers when other batsmen seem to be able to come and go in the order.

"Logically it makes not a huge amount of difference to come in at number three. It's something I've not done a lot of before in the past but it's exciting, it's a new challenge and we'll see how it goes."

Strauss' only experience of playing at number three came right at the start of his career with Middlesex, but since then he has got used to walking out at the start of the innings both at Test and international level.

Chris Tremlett is pushing for a Test slot © Getty Images

But he believes it is a position he can grow into, stressing: "The challenges aren't a huge amount different.

"I suppose if there's a huge opening stand it's a slightly different situation but as an opening batsman you've got to be prepared to bat when the ball is at it's newest and sometimes the hardest time to bat.

"Coming in at number three you could be in for the second ball in which case it's no different and later on in the game hopefully the guys have established a nice platform for you."

Strauss is confident he can return to his form at the start of his Test career and regards his recent performances as a bad patch which afflicts the majority of international cricketers.

"I feel quite strongly there's no reason why I can't continue playing in the way I played towards the start of my career," he said.

"I feel the last 12 months was one of those times cricketers have and most cricketers bounce back from so there's no reason in my mind why I can't go on, have a good series and carry on in the next 18-24 months.

"I did a bit of technical work in the winter but more than anything it's been a case of refreshing the mind, feeling clearer in what my gameplan is and maybe at times last summer I got away from that.

"I think I maybe strayed away from my gameplan a little bit and it's one that's worked pretty well for me for 10 or 12 years so to try and change that now would be suicidal in a way."

The tourists have also selected Hampshire seamer Chris Tremlett, who was added to the squad as cover for injuries, for the tour match to effectively battle it out with spearhead Steve Harmison for a Test place.

The pair are seen as like-for-like bowlers who can generate extra bounce even from placid pitches and adds an intriguing battle to their final three days of competitive cricket before the start of the Test series.

"I was really impressed with him last summer," admitted Strauss. "I thought he bowled with hostility and did that for pretty much most of the day - none of the Indians looked like they particularly liked facing him and found it difficult to score off him.

"I'm sure he's very keen to press his case for a Test spot but there are five or six seamers there that are all pretty tightly packed.

"It's a good thing for a team to have competition in the seam department and I suppose this match is going to be a good trial to see who is bowling well and who isn't."