Andrew Strauss steers clear of panic button after third defeat

England were beaten by four wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground after a poor batting display saw Strauss' side bowled out for 214 and left their depleted bowling attack with too little to defend. Only a defiant unbeaten 84 from Jonathan Trott, who batted through the innings after coming in during the first over, provided reason for cheer in a batting performance undermined by soft dismissals.

England's second-string battled gamely to reduce Australia to 100 for five in response, but in the end they did not have enough firepower as David Hussey's unbeaten 68 guided the hosts home with four overs to spare.

Strauss admitted his batsmen had again let his side down, after they were also bundled out for 184 in Hobart on Friday, but denied they needed to change an attacking approach that had seen them win their previous six one-day series.

"It's not the time to panic," said Strauss. "I still want us to play positive, aggressive, attacking cricket. That's the only way we are going to succeed in Australia or in the World Cup. I don't want too many of our batsmen scratching their heads wondering whether they should play a shot or not.

"I want them to play with freedom. If we keep doing that and keep believing, then I think things will turn around. Now's the time that you have got confidence in players rather than damage them."

He added: "You have to give credit to the way Australia have bowled. We haven't been as smart as we should have been. It's a strange game, the game of cricket. All I can say is we need to look forward and improve. There's no point us crying into our Cornflakes tomorrow morning."

After falling 3-0 behind in the series heading into Wednesday's fourth match in Adelaide, Strauss denied that his team were showing signs of a post-Ashes malaise and ruled out fatigue as a reason for their faltering fortunes.

"Both sets of players have played the same amount of cricket over the course of the summer. If fatigue is setting in, then that's not good enough," he said. "I haven't noticed that personally. I think the guys have been pretty buoyant."

England's defeat was further soured by the news all-rounder Tim Bresnan had been ruled out of the series with a calf injury suffered in Friday's 46-run defeat in Hobart.Kevin Pietersen also failed to take his place due to a groin injury, although Strauss is hopeful he will return in Adelaide, along with James Anderson, who has completed his scheduled post-Ashes break.

Anderson's return will be welcome, with first-choice bowlers Graeme Swan (knee), who Strauss confirmed is not likely to return before the penultimate game of this series, Stuart Broad (stomach) and now Bresnan on the sidelines.

With England's World Cup opener against Holland less than a month away, Strauss admitted that managing the players' workload was crucial, but refused to criticise a protracted schedule in Australia that sees them playing two Twenty20s and seven one-dayers after their Ashes success.

"We knew the itinerary before we came. It hasn't changed," he said. "You've got to manage heavy schedules. You can't just throw your hands up and say 'we can't compete'," he said. "It's our job as a management to manage our players through that the best we can."

After a tour in which Australia have, for the most part, been outplayed, stand-in captain Michael Clarke admitted clinching the one-day series would offer some measure of revenge.

"It (a series win] would be great, no doubt," he said. "I think for our fans as well, the people who support us every day. We cop a little bit of criticism, rightly so sometimes, and we deserve that, but we know we have a lot of people supporting us and it's important we continue to play good cricket. It's important to build momentum for the World Cup."