Matthew Hayden says the Australian cricketers 'remain incredibly focused' on another powerful performance against England in the second 3 Mobile Ashes Test starting at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
"We enjoyed the way we played our Test-match cricket [in the 277-run win in the first Test at the Gabba]," opening batsman Hayden said before practising at Adelaide Oval's nets on Wednesday.
"It was everything that Australia had promised over the 14-month period [since losing the Ashes in England last year]. We remain in that state of mind as well, and we expect nothing less of ourselves going into the next four Test matches.
"We've already acknowledged the fact it was a very good, convincing win (at the Gabba), but, to me, our attitude remains pretty much like we're second, still.
"It's carried us through for 14 months now that we've got a point to prove, so that hungry mentality straight away and that unquenchable thirst is still within our grasp, and we want to make sure we continue that process on throughout this Test-match series. I think just simple recognition of that fact is going to stand us in very good stead."
Hayden said the Australians 'understood the conditions - the advantage of being at home'.
"We understand this wicket is vastly different … and we've got a great track record over the years here," he said.
"We're here to win the game and I guess that would put us in an incredibly strong position during the five-Test series. It's another venue Australia enjoys playing at - a vastly different ground from the conditions we've just seen in Brisbane, but it plays to our strengths."
Hayden said he would not be surprised if England played both of its left-arm spinners, Ashley Giles and Monty Panesar, in Adelaide, and he added: "But I don't think the Australian batting line-up has got a lot of threat with either of those two players. So it's not something we're overly concerned about."
But when asked about Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, Hayden said: "Even though Warney has had a tremendous amount of success in Brisbane, he comes into his own in the southern venues. He'll turn the ball prodigiously on this venue, in particular, and he'll get a lot of up-and-down movement as well.
"I wouldn't like to be a left-hand batter facing Shane Warne on this track because I really believe he's going to be hard work.''
Hayden said cricket had benefited from England's 2-1 win in last year's Ashes series, and when asked about the massive English celebrations that followed, he said: "I would have said best of British. I think it was terrific and I think we're all sitting here today advantaged by the fact that we had a terrific competition in England.
"Australia came off second best in that competition. Who would have thought the expectation and the anticipation of the remaining Test matches … the participation rates of the game … they're all on the up and it's wonderful to be a part of it.
"I've played a lot of Test-match cricket at the Gabba and I've never seen the Gabba packed every day of a Test match. We're going to come here and we're going to celebrate cricket - a fantastic venue. You've got the Barossa Valley, you've got the Coonawarra (wine regions) …
"I'm sure the Barmy Army will be well and truly sozzled come the first day of the Test match, and they've got every right to celebrate in a fantastic state we're going to play this Test match in."
