England are expected to keep faith with out-of-form Andrew Strauss for the next phase of their Test summer when they take on India in the first match of the three-Test npower series next week.

The selectors have already announced one squad full of shocks and surprises this week when they revealed their 30-man provisional squad for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament later this year in South Africa.

But despite a desperate run of form in all types of cricket for 30-year-old left-hander Strauss, England are unlikely to deliver similarly unexpected names when they announce their squad for next week's opening Test at Lord's tomorrow morning.

It is nearly a month since Strauss effectively rescued himself from being dropped with a first-innings 77 in the final Test victory over West Indies at Chester-le-Street, since when England have concentrated on one-day cricket in the NatWest Series.

But that innings was only his second half-century in his last 17 Test innings and Strauss has had little first-class match practice to hone his technique since.

Strauss' only cricket in the last month has consisted of successive ducks in the two Twenty20 matches he has played for Middlesex, while he lasted only 17 balls against India as captain of England Lions at Chelmsford yesterday before falling for one.

Other than a determined 120 for Middlesex against Nottinghamshire in his only championship match of the season, Strauss has passed 50 only once in three Friends Provident Trophy matches, while he averaged only 24 from seven innings during the recent series against West Indies.