Strauss wants result
England captain Andrew Strauss says his side can take advantage of what should be a result wicket in Antigua in the third Test against the West Indies that started on Sunday.
Friday's abandonment of the second Test at the Viv Richards Stadium saw a third, extra, Test hastily arranged at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG).
And, after two days' preparation time, it should be full of pace and bounce.
"If there is a bit of pace and bounce then we have the bowlers that can exploit that," said Strauss.
"Any wicket that offers the chance of a result is good for us at this stage, being 1-0 down in the series."
The ARG is predominantly used as a football venue these days, and on the pitch -- which England used for net practice ahead of the start of Friday's Test -- there is a ridge halfway down the wicket where the centre circle normally sits.
But Strauss insists it should have little impact on the bowlers, saying: "It is very much halfway down the wicket, so there shouldn't be too many balls bowled there.
"They will be getting the heavy roller out and making sure that it is as small as possible."
The pitch could prompt England to hand an instant recall to Steve Harmison, who was excluded on Friday due to the reverse swing expected at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, as they look to recover from their humiliating defeat in Jamaica in the first Test.
"I think the players are reasonably understanding to think that the team you pick is the one that you think is going to give you the best chance of winning the Test match," said Strauss.
"In different conditions that means different personnel.
"No-one likes being left out, but I'm sure they'll be understanding. It's not ideal being picked one day and then not being picked two days later, but that is something we'll have to decide upon."
Conversely, West Indies captain Chris Gayle insists his side's gameplan will not alter despite the switch in venue.
"This requires new focus," said Gayle. "But it is not too difficult because we are here to play cricket and it is the same gameplan we had before.
"It's a new venue but we have to be ready for it and hopefully we can get things right again."
International cricket has not been played at the ARG since 2006 and, the last time it was, Gayle hit a triple hundred in a run-fest against South Africa.
It is also the ground where Brian Lara hit his world record unbeaten 400 against England five years ago.
However, the lack of preparation on the pitch should give the bowlers a better chance and Gayle admitted: "No-one knows what to expect. We had a practice there and the wicket played all right.
"We are here to play cricket and we have to get our heads around that.
"There are small things that can come into play when you switch venues but the guys have been around long enough to experience or expect those sort of things."
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