Skipper Strauss led from the front with a determined effort
England captain Andrew Strauss admitted his side's drubbing in Jamaica had made the team all the more determined to put the record straight in the third Test.
Strauss hit 169 of England's 301-3 on day one against West Indies in Antigua.
"We could have gone into our shells and hoped we made runs. The other option is to take the bull by the horns and tell yourself it is going to happen.
"England sides play a lot better when there is controlled aggression. It is a good mindset to have," said Strauss.
"It was a case of how do we react to what happened in Jamaica? What type of players do we want to be?
"The guys have all got a point to prove and the only way to do that is out there in the middle."
West Indies captain Chris Gayle won the toss and, expecting the hastily prepared pitch to have uneven bounce, put England in to bat at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
However, that decision backfired as England made a solid start to take control of the match.
It was in stark contrast to the first Test, when England were skittled out for 51 in the second innings to lose by an innings.
Strauss admitted that it had been a good toss to lose, and that when he arrived at the ground in the morning he had planned to put the West Indies in to bat if he got the chance.
He added: "We still did think there might be a bit more in the wicket than there was. There was a bit of bounce but it was not as quick as it had been on the practice days.
"It was pretty flat. Anything full came on to the bat very nicely. I have felt in pretty good form all tour, apart from those two innings in Jamaica. Once I was in, it was just a case of making sure I cashed in.
"It was important that once we got through the new ball we took advantage. I thought we did that pretty well. We were positive against the spinners which is important on day one and, as it stands, we are not in a bad position.
"Now the key is score well on day two and put them under scoreboard pressure for the rest of the game. We want 500-plus from here. When you are chasing that there will always be pressure on you."
Strauss revealed that opening the batting and captaining the side had its advantages on a good batting strip.
"You have got first use of the wicket and and you can set the tone," he said. "That's very important.
"But when you put on your batting hat it is vital not to think too much as a captain. You have to think as a batsman and I was able to do that."
West Indies coach John Dyson admitted his side had taken a risk in asking England to bat first.
"Hindsight is a marvellous thing. If you asked people in the commentary positions, after the weather conditions of the last couple of days and perhaps the shortness of pitch preparation, they would have thought there might have been more in this pitch.
"It was a risk worth taking and in hindsight I wish we'd batted.
"History says this pitch lasts though, so I am confident this will go the distance."
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