Andrew Strauss's team benefit hugely from the attention to detail of the coaches and investment from the ECB  The journey to the top of the world has been plotted with forensic focus by Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss. Their huge – and largely hidden –advantage has been the unrivalled expertise they have been able to tap into. Here we unveil the intricate work of the coaches and analysts who have transformed the team and their outlook.

Batting “England trained and grass grew at the MCG yesterday, two activities virtually indistinguishable from each other in tempo.” That was the killer line delivered by the Australian sportswriter Greg Baum during the 1994-95 Ashes. But go down to the nets today and you will find that England are buzzing like a beehive, especially by contrast with listless India.

According to Graham Gooch, the England batting coach, the trick is to keep training sessions short and intense, with enough variation to prevent boredom sneaking in. “We do a lot of overs practice,” Gooch said, “so that the lads bat for a certain number of overs while we switch the bowling from over the wicket to around. It creates a similar environment to the middle. “We also get them running between the overs, carrying bricks, or doing physical exercises. That’s really to test their mind and their concentration - it’s nothing to do with fitness. We call it distraction.