England have one eye on Australia and the other on World Cup in Asia

Different strokes: Eoin Morgan must help England win in Australia, and ensure his game is ready for the different demands of the World Cup on the subcontinentPhoto: PA

By Simon Briggs, in Melbourne9:21PM GMT 15 Jan 2011

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During training sessions, the backroom staff will have split priorities. In one net, we will see speedsters bowling off 18 paces to simulate the gladiatorial combat that is facing Shaun Tait. In the next, they will be scuffing up the surface to prepare for the more cerebral challenge of Harbhajan Singh or Shakib Al Hasan.

According to Eoin Morgan, this sort of doublethink should not be beyond the capabilities of the England squad. To have one eye on the World Cup and one eye on this series is similar to what we did last summer, said Morgan. Then we had one eye on the Ashes, and one eye on Pakistan. And that seemed to work well enough.

Andrew Strauss backed up Morgans point, having returned to duty after a week spent smelling the roses in Melbourne. "We are conscious that conditions in Australia are very different to the subcontinent, he said. Some of our practice and training has got to be tailored towards this series and some of it towards heading forward as well. But wining this series is still the most important thing.

For all the brickbats thrown at Australian cricket over the past month, they remain the top-ranked team in 50-over cricket. They have the Hussey brothers in the middle-order, plus Tait and Brett Lee to give you the hurry up with the new ball. To beat them over seven matches would be a major achievement, even for an England side on a roll of five one-day series wins - their longest winning streak since the first 50-over internation! al was p layed here in Melbourne on Jan 5, 1971.

But even if England lose, they should come out of the series in tight, streamlined shape. Assuming that the Aussies get their mojo back, they offer a form of restraint training. When you escape from the green-and-gold shadow, other opponents feel like pushovers by comparison.