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Considering he was thrust into the role following the sacking of Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss has settled in perfectly to life as England captain.

The Middlesex left-hander has overcome a worrying slump in form, one that resulted in him being dropped at one stage, to once again become a rock at the top of England's order.

Had it not been for a knock of 177 - still his Test best - made at number three against New Zealand in Napier, Strauss may well have found himself out of the team and in danger of being on the international scrap heap.

His first Test chance came courtesy of an injury to Michael Vaughan, and he seized the opportunity with both hands by becoming just the fourth man to make a century on debut at Lord's, his home ground.

The left-hander continued on from his excellent start, reaching 1,000 runs in just his 10th Test, before enduring his first real blip coming on the last Ashes tour.

He could well have been captain for the last trip Down Under, but the selectors instead decided that all-rounder Andrew Flintoff should do the job in the absence of the injured Vaughan.

Having led well on an interim basis previously, Strauss was the obvious candidate to take over when Pietersen lost the job.

Since then he has formed a superb partnership with coach Andy Flower, the pair managing to steady the ship before leading England on an impressive run of results in both Test and one-day cricket.

His leadership style is similar to his batting - strong and steady but not one to be overly aggressive when on the front foot.

Australian pitches should suit his style, though he managed just one half-century on the last Ashes tour. However, three of his 18 Test tons have come against Ricky Ponting's side, including 161 at Lord's last summer.