If Strauss, who is on 64 not out in the present Test, makes another 36 runs, he would have made 19 centuries against 14 fifties. That would raise his conversion rate to 58%, making Strauss mid-way between Bradman and the rest of the competition. This is an astounding conversion rate, all the more so because it is over a career of 65 Tests, not an anamoly of playing a few Tests and having a purple patch.

On the other hand, Strauss’s career average is a respectable, but not outstanding 45.09. The contrast between this average and his tendency towards centuries is very stark. So what is going on here? Well, here is a graph to explain that:

Strauss has been dismissed for single digits every fourth innings and under 20 every third innings. Talk about early nerves. Once he crosses 50, the game changes. He is still more likely to fall in the 50′s or 60′s, but he has only fallen once in his 70′s and 80′s. And as every cricket fan now knows, he is getting that century.

Ominously for Australia, Strauss seems to have overcome his very early jitters recently. His last single digit score was almost 15 innings ago. He is still making those scores in the teens. Australia need to come up with a plan to find out how they can take him out early, otherwise he is going to stick there and the Ashes will stick with him.