England bowling remains a question mark
And while he is content that Ben Stokes' side have the batting depth to compete with the best in the world, uncertainty remains with the ball after seeing India rack up big runs at Headingley (471 and 364) and Edgbaston (587 and 427 for six declared).
Strauss was the last England captain to win the urn Down Under but hopes Stokes can pick up the baton this winter.
'I don't think Ben needs to worry about where he sits in the pantheon of England cricketers, he's already done so many extraordinary things as a player and a captain,' he said.
'But if you want to win in Australia the number one things you need are momentum, confidence and a very stable team. These Tests against India will determine the mood in the camp heading to Australia.
'You need to have a complete team who can win in all competitions and the bowling has been exposed on some very flat tracks in good weather so far this season. That will be one question mark he's still scratching his head around…how can we take 20 wickets?
'They have sharpened up one or two elements overall and their batting is very dangerous. They grab the bull by the horns and have a lot of batters who can hurt you but there are familiar concerns and issues around the bowling.'
Friday marks the seventh 'Red for Ruth' event at the home of cricket, in honour of Strauss' late wife, who died of non-smoking lung cancer in 2018.
Coming to the Home of Cricket tomorrow?
Lord's will be transformed into a sea of red as the cricketing world unites for the seventh annual #RedforRuth day.
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) July 10, 2025
The foundation has attracted donations of over £4million over the years, supporting more than 5,000 families facing an incurable cancer diagnosis and offering training to more than 1,300 healthcare professionals. A new school education programme is also being launched, featuring a Minecraft educational game.
'I'm very proud to see what the foundation has done over the last six years and we couldn't have done it without the support of the cricket community,' he said.
'It's always humbling to see Lord's resplendent in red, it's an incredible showcase and we never take it for granted.
'The impact we've made in the past six years is extraordinary, and a huge part of it is down to the generosity of the cricketing community and the public. With the schools programme now in place, we're ensuring that families feel supported not just at home or in healthcare settings, but in schools too.'
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David Warner just cannot resist the opportunity to have a dig at England. Decked out in the London Spirit's royal blue and sat on the benches in front of the Long Room, Warner is preparing to play at Lord's for the first time since 2023 and the Ashes is on his mind. Having managed to lock his kit in his car and then leave his key in another vehicle, Warner has had to do his London Spirit photoshoot sharing a bat and gloves with new team-mate Kane Williamson. But Warner recovers from the slight misstep to deliver a series of Ashes opinions. First in the firing line is Joe Root, who has just become the second-highest run scorer in Test history but is yet to register a century Down Under. It is something Warner is well aware of as he predicts Root's match-up with Australian fast bowler Josh Hazelwood, in particular, will be one of 'nightmares'. 'Joe is a hell of a cricket player, look at the runs he has scored, the second leading run-scorer in the world, there are not too many things you can say to him that he doesn't have an answer for,' Warner says. 'But I'm sure he'd like to score a hundred in Australia. It's one that has eluded him. I think that will be on his mind.' 'The way that he brings down his bat playing on Australian wickets, it can bring him undone and I've seen it in the past,' Warner adds. 'I think he will have nightmares before he gets over here about Josh Hazlewood. A bit like me and Broady [Stuart Broad].' Broad famously dismissed Warner on 17 occasions during their respective cricketing careers and Root has already fallen 10 times to Hazlewood. He is not the player to have dismissed Root most, however, with Australian captain Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah claiming the scalp of Root on 11 occasions apiece. Harry Brook, fresh off a remarkable century at the Oval which helped England get within six runs of their second highest Test run-chase, is next up for Warner. He predicts a barrage of bumpers are awaiting Brook come November. 'Guys like Brooky can come out and play the way he wants, but he is going to have to start practising more on the short ball because I think that's what he is going to get,' Warner explains. 'They will target him early through the slipstream and the cordon will look to be brought into play, but knowing the Australian bowlers, they will target those things.' It is fair to say that Warner is not convinced by the wider Bazball concept, either, confidently predicting Australia to win 4-0 or 3-1 series. 'If England want to take that approach in Australia, they are going to have to expect a deep third man, a deep backward point, two men out square and all that and then you can play your shots,' Warner says. 'There are going to be a lot of chances and Australia will have to take them. In Australia, there is not one place where you can drive on the up and play shots willy nilly.' Warner has not played Test cricket since he hung up his whites after the new year's Test at his home ground in Sydney last year. He will be working as a pundit during the Ashes for Fox, however, and fittingly their rival broadcaster Channel 7 have snapped up Broad. allowing one of cricket's great rivalries to continue in a different manner altogether. When Warner has come to England in the past he has been the pantomime villain and booed every time he walked out to bat. After all, his career will forever be overshadowed by his involvement in the sandpaper scandal in 2018 and his casting as Australia's attack dog in the field. Two years ago, Warner was at the heart of another controversy as a confrontation with a Marylebone Cricket Club member unfolded after the questionable stumping of Jonny Bairstow which provoked an ethical debate so heated that even Rishi Sunak and the Australian prime minister got involved. Preparing this time to be on the home side at Lord's during the England and Wales Cricket Board's flagship franchise tournament, Warner calls the events of 2023 'laughable'. 'I just found it funny how people behaved. Grown men,' he says. 'I have got no bad memories of it, just some people wanted to react how they did, it is what it is.' Now 38, having given up all forms of international cricket last year, it is fair to say Warner's demeanour is more relaxed than when he was last in England. 'It doesn't bother me how people react,' he replies when asked whether he was expecting to be booed in his debut Hundred. 'I am here to do my job, that's to try and score runs and help the team get the win. The crowd is going to be the crowd no matter where you go in the world. 'They are either going to like you or dislike you, but I am just here to do my job. I don't worry about what other people think.'
