Weve got a point to prove,says Strauss

England have something to prove when they take on Sri Lanka in the first of two Tests on Monday,after being beaten 3-0 by Pakistan,captain Andrew Strauss said

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England have something to prove when they take on Sri Lanka in the first of two Tests on Monday,after being beaten 3-0 by Pakistan,captain Andrew Strauss said on Sunday. We have got a point to prove,we need to bounce back after those results against Pakistan, said Strauss,whose side are ranked number one in the world.

We are not focusing on the world rankings at the moment,its not of great consequence to us. If you focus too much on that then you are taking your eyes off what is important which is try and win each game of cricket.

We know the extent of the challenge here and we know that Sri Lanka is very good especially in their home conditions. We have got to be very good to overcome those challenges. Thats plenty enough to focus on and the rankings will take care of themselves.

Ive got no concerns that we can back our ability to bounce back and get big scores over here but there is always an element of pressure we need to deal with in international cricket,its part and parcel of the job, he said.

After playing Pakistan on neutral territory in the United Arab Emirates,Strauss said the higher humidity and more oppressive heat in Sri Lanka would influence the choice of team. Youve always got to consider in these conditions how much strain you put on your bowling and how much they can contend with, said Strauss. Thats always a fact in deciding the team we are playing.

With Ravi Bopara unable to bowl because of a side strain sustained in the second warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket Presidents XI,England have to decide who will fill the number six slot. They could either play Bopara purely as a batsman,leaving them with four front-line bowlers,or opt for Tim Bresnan or Samit Patel,both of whom can also contribute with the bat.

Strauss said Stuart Broad had recovered fully from his ankle injury and he is likely to be James Andersons new ball partner. Spinners Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar will complete the England bowling line-up.

Ten-fold jump in ticket prices

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Sri Lankas cricket chiefs have angered fans by adopting a 10-fold increase in ticket prices for the Test series against England starting on Monday. Daily tickets have been priced at 5,000 and 7,500 Sri Lankan rupees ($39 dollars and $58 dollars),as compared to the 500 rupees charged for the previous home series against Australia last year.

Barmy Army member Giles Wellington said: We know we are lucky to be here,but we dont want to feel we are being ripped off.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials refuted suggestions that England fans were being charged more than the locals.

Yes,there is a substantial increase from previous tours and the World Cup,but its the same for everyone. Sri Lankans are not paying less, said SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.