Test diary: Nearly my turn to join the party

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More... Test diary: Nearly my turn to join the party By Andrew Strauss, Sunday Telegraph Last Updated: 11:44pm BST 16/06/2007 Sunday If we want to be the world's best team, we have to be completely ruthless at all times, it's as simple as that. Last night, we let an opportunity to take the game completely out of West Indies' grasp by losing our last seven wickets for 50, and meant that they had a theoretical chance to win, chasing 450, with nine wickets left. By the end of the day, that possibility looked a little more likely, as, after only taking four wickets all day, they needed only 160 to win. It was a tough and frustrating day as endless appeals for wickets were rejected, and the West Indian batsmen became increasingly obdurate. Above all, though, there was a real feeling of achievement. For 90 overs we kept calm, bowled in partnerships and sustained pressure. If we do that again tomorrow we should win comfortably. Monday if(command.indexOf('tz')!=-1)eval(command); Again, things didn't prove easy. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in his unique way, played magnificently on a wearing pitch, where Monty Panesar was extracting alarming bounce; and he had good support from Darren Sammy and Jerome Taylor. Eventually our persistence paid off, and we wrapped things up just after lunch. If you don't enjoy series victories then you shouldn't be playing, and after the amount of effort that went into winning this Test, we feel as though we have been in a real tussle regardless of what people say about the opposition. In our changing-room there were some real heroes. Alastair Cook, in scoring his sixth Test century, was outstanding; Ian Bell's contribution in the first innings was crucial; and Monty's 10-wicket haul underlined his vast importance to the team. The real hero for me, however, was Michael Vaughan. After scoring the gutsiest of hundreds last week, he rode an off-field storm to register the record number of wins for an England captain. It hasn't been the easiest of times for him recently, but only a special captain can achieve the results he has. I suppose the celebrations were a little more muted for me, as my contributions during the season haven't been what I would have wanted, or expected. Also there is nothing quite like the feeling of absolute physical and mental exhaustion that you get after batting for long periods, but I am a firm believer that these things run in cycles. This series my contributions were modest, but next series, when someone else may be struggling, it will be my turn to come to the party. All that matters is that the team win. Tuesday An arduous trek across the Pennines and up the A1 to Durham this afternoon, watching terrible weather engulf the northern half of England. The forecast this week is awful. It is always strange coming back to Durham, the scene of my student days, as it all seems so familiar, but also so different. The sight (and sounds) of students finishing their exams, and giving the drinking spots of the town a final send-off, brings so many memories back; but if you don't know people in the town, you feel very much removed from the action. In any case, the challenge for me is to get into the perfect frame of mind to go out and score runs, and that means plenty of hard work. I am aware that some people have been questioning my place in the side, and I suppose that goes with the territory if you are not playing well, but it is also important not to let it be a distraction. Wednesday Over the last couple of days I have been working with Andy Flower, the batting coach, on a couple of slight technical issues, designed more than anything to reconnect with past success, rather than because anything is particularly awry. Andy is one of the few people who seems to have almost universal respect in the game, both for the quality of his play and the integrity of his character, which he displayed so admirably when flouting Mugabe's regime in the 2003 World Cup. Moving straight from playing into coaching is difficult, but he seems to have made the transition comfortably. He is incredibly thoughtful, chooses his words carefully and doesn't seem to say things for the sake of it. Added to that, he has a great knowledge about the rigours of playing at the top level, and his experience of playing spin successfully should be increasingly beneficial when the Indians arrive later in the summer, and the Sri Lankan winter that follows. Above all, he is a great man to have around the dressing room. Thursday Things are getting a little tedious, but at least we were able to use the indoor facility in Newcastle. I'm not sure the city looked quite at its best in the torrential rain, but it was nonetheless refreshing to get out of the hotel. Friday Today was meant to be a special day for cricket in the North-East, but the weather put pay to even the possibility of any play. More time spent in the gym, and an early night. Hopefully, things may change tomorrow. Saturday When we finally did get out this afternoon, the challenge for the West Indians was the damp wicket and the moving ball, and for us to switch on after sitting around. We hit the ground running, with Hoggard especially impressive after his long lay-off. As the afternoon wore on, the pitch proved to be a little better than we had anticipated, but we are still in a strong position.