Fourth Test, Lord's: England v Pakistan Dates: 26-30 August Start time: 1100 BST Coverage: Live ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and BBC Sport website; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; also live on Sky Sports, with daily highlights on Channel 5
Strauss and team director Andy Flower mull over matters during net practice
By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent
Test matches rattle round so fast these days, there's barely time for anyone to take a deep breath after the last match before the next one begins.
By contriving to lose in four days at The Oval, England have at least had an extra 24 hours to mull over what went wrong - and they would not have very far to look because their top-order batting has been fragile all summer.
It is quite possible that their confidence has been dented somewhat by the swinging ball which has tested the technique of the batsmen on both teams.
But that does not excuse the fact that many of the dismissals at The Oval were the result of poor technique and shot selection rather than batsmen being undone by unplayable deliveries.
True, in bowling reverse swing from round the wicket, Pakistan left-armer Mohammad Amir did make life awkward in that right-handed batsmen can easily be drawn into playing at balls that they should be leaving.
Considering he is only 18, Amir is seriously talented and with a little work on his batting, should emerge as a fine all-rounder in the future.
The prospect of unsettled weather on the first two days at least suggests that Amir and the wily Mohammad Asif will still be a handful with the famous Lord's slope assisting them to move the ball off the seam as well, making it vitally important that England's batsmen knuckle down and be prepared to graft.
I would like to see England captain Andrew Strauss showing a little more insight to his field positions, as well. I get the impression that his bowlers tend to get their own way with their plans, some of which are not the best option at the time.
I really could not work out what James Anderson was doing bowling from round the wicket with the new ball to Pakistan's left-handers in the second innings at The Oval.
We have a point to prove - Strauss
In doing so, he eliminated almost every means of getting the batsman out, except caught off the edge which, with the angle, is extremely difficult.
England should have repeated what they have done well in the series so far: controlled bowling with sensible fields, building pressure through squeezing the run rate. And why was there a deep square leg throughout? I really don't know.
If England took their defeat in the right way, as an opportunity honestly to analyse their failings, they will emerge more strongly for it.
To lose a Test you are expected to win is sometimes no bad thing because it comes as a jolt and eliminates complacency.
However, now that Pakistan have beaten England, and did so handsomely, they know that a series-levelling victory is well within their capabilities.
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