LEEDS, Aug 8: England captain Andrew Strauss said on Tuesday his side had had a score to settle during their victorious Test series with Pakistan. But, he added, it was not with their opponents.

“It wasn't a case of revenge. I think we had a score to settle with ourselves,” he told a news conference after his team won the third Test take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

“We didn't play as well as we should have done in Pakistan (during the winter). We back ourselves, when we play well, to beat just about any side in the world.

“There has been a real hunger to win over the last three Test matches and that has been good to see.”

England lost a three-match series 2-0 in Pakistan at the end of last year then drew subsequent series in India and at home to Sri Lanka.

Strauss has a special word of praise for left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, who took six wickets in the match at Headingley to go with his eight-wicket haul in the victory at Old Trafford.

“Monty has done everything that has been asked of him, particularly in this test match, which wasn't as helpful a pitch as Old Trafford.

“I think he did a really first-rate job and with every game he plays he looks more settled in the side. Hopefully he will get better and better.”

His words will come as a boost to the 24-year-old Panesar after England coach Duncan Fletcher was lukewarm in his praise after the second Test, highlighting Panesar's batting and fielding weaknesses instead.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was as complimentary as Strauss, saying: “I think Monty is a class act.”

Panesar, who has played in nine Tests, has taken 16 wickets at 25.75 in the series.

Woolmer said the key moment on the final day came when Mohammad Yousuf ran himself out cheaply just before lunch.

Panesar's dismissal of Younis Khan, however, who helped put on 363 runs with Yousuf in the first innings, was almost as important.

“Yes it was a beauty,” Younis said afterwards, while Panesar added of a delivery which pitched on middle stump and hit the top of off: “It was the best ball I have bowled in Test cricket.”

Tuesday's success clinched England's first series win since the 2005 Ashes.

“I think it was very important to get back to winning ways,”

Strauss added. “We have played some very good Test cricket since the last Ashes but probably haven't done it as consistently as we would have liked. But now we've played good cricket in three Tests in a row. Success breeds success.

“The guys got what they deserved. I think they have been outstanding over the past three Test matches.

“In a game like this it comes down to how you handle pressure and I think the guys did that very well.”—Reuters