Andrew Strauss has insisted his players will be in no mood to relax when they face India in the fourth and final Test at the Oval.
Video: England prepare for fourth Test
Video: Flower talks about England success
Strauss's side leapfrogged the tourists to become the world's number one-ranked Test nation after their win at Edgbaston but even with that objective achieved, the skipper said England want to round off the summer in style and secure a whitewash.
"We will approach it in the same way as we would any other Test," Strauss told Sky Sports News.
"We're desperate to finish the summer on a high. The work ethic over the last couple of days has been good and encouraging and I'd be very disappointed if we took our foot off the gas.
"It's always been a long-term goal to get number one so it was a special moment to achieve it. We celebrated that we'd achieved one of our goals, but now we're back training again rankings become secondary to what you do on a day-to-day basis.
"We try and win every match we play and then rankings look after themselves.
"We've got to challenge ourselves to keep improving and working hard to improve. There's always the temptation to take the foot off the gas and feel comfortable with what you've done.
"But that's not the nature of international sport, you've got to keep pushing forward."
Strauss said the return of Graham Onions and the inclusion of Steven Finn shows the depth of talent now available to England.
Durham seamer Onions makes his return to the Test set-up for the first time since January 2010 after overcoming a persistent back injury while Middlesex paceman Finn has also been named.
Their chances of an appearance might have lessened after James Anderson, who is suffering a "slight" thigh injury, came through a half-hour net session on Wednesday. However, Strauss is more than happy to have them in the squad.
"It's great to see Onions back in the squad. He played a very significant part in the 2009 Ashes win and we all have high regard for him as a bowler. With him and Steven Finn, there is definitely strength in depth," Strauss said.
Having reached the top of the Test ladder, England are now targeting a long stay at the summit of the game.
Questions have already been asked as to whether they can dominate as the West Indies did in the 1980s and the Australians did in the last decade, but Strauss is not looking that far ahead.
"Those teams created a great legacy by playing that well for a decade," he added.
"We've done it for the last couple of years. We're not trying to be seen as anything, just trying to play as well as we can.
"What happens as a result of that, we will be able to look back on in years to come."
more...
Video: England prepare for fourth Test
Video: Flower talks about England success
Strauss's side leapfrogged the tourists to become the world's number one-ranked Test nation after their win at Edgbaston but even with that objective achieved, the skipper said England want to round off the summer in style and secure a whitewash.
"We will approach it in the same way as we would any other Test," Strauss told Sky Sports News.
"We're desperate to finish the summer on a high. The work ethic over the last couple of days has been good and encouraging and I'd be very disappointed if we took our foot off the gas.
"It's always been a long-term goal to get number one so it was a special moment to achieve it. We celebrated that we'd achieved one of our goals, but now we're back training again rankings become secondary to what you do on a day-to-day basis.
"We try and win every match we play and then rankings look after themselves.
"We've got to challenge ourselves to keep improving and working hard to improve. There's always the temptation to take the foot off the gas and feel comfortable with what you've done.
"But that's not the nature of international sport, you've got to keep pushing forward."
Strauss said the return of Graham Onions and the inclusion of Steven Finn shows the depth of talent now available to England.
Durham seamer Onions makes his return to the Test set-up for the first time since January 2010 after overcoming a persistent back injury while Middlesex paceman Finn has also been named.
Their chances of an appearance might have lessened after James Anderson, who is suffering a "slight" thigh injury, came through a half-hour net session on Wednesday. However, Strauss is more than happy to have them in the squad.
"It's great to see Onions back in the squad. He played a very significant part in the 2009 Ashes win and we all have high regard for him as a bowler. With him and Steven Finn, there is definitely strength in depth," Strauss said.
Having reached the top of the Test ladder, England are now targeting a long stay at the summit of the game.
Questions have already been asked as to whether they can dominate as the West Indies did in the 1980s and the Australians did in the last decade, but Strauss is not looking that far ahead.
"Those teams created a great legacy by playing that well for a decade," he added.
"We've done it for the last couple of years. We're not trying to be seen as anything, just trying to play as well as we can.
"What happens as a result of that, we will be able to look back on in years to come."
more...
