Tim Bresnan might not consider himself cuddly enough for his new tag as England's proverbial "lucky charm" but, after victory in every single one of the eight Tests he has played, the big man can't resist a cheeky quip. Hearing a suggestion that England could have picked him sooner and more often, Bresnan chuckles sagely and says: "We would have been No1 a long time by now if that had happened."

The dry Yorkshireman allows his joke to settle, just long enough to remember his feats with bat and ball in England's 319-run defeat of India in the second Test at Trent Bridge last week, before reverting to modesty. "Nah, I can't really say that," he murmurs. "It's just one of those things. I've been very lucky in my Test career and I felt ecstatic after we won in Nottingham."

Bresnan, who has often been patronised as a steady bowler who can "bat a bit" and "never lets anyone down", deserves to revel in the glory. He scored an accomplished 90 in England's second innings and then secured his first five-wicket haul as India were rolled over for 158 with a day to spare. His batting was less a tailender's cheery slog than a well-crafted and authoritative innings, while he displayed pace, bounce and swing as his bowling figures of five for 48 completed a near perfect day.

And yet, in circumstances which illustrate why England are on the brink of establishing themselves as the world's leading Test team, Bresnan may still be left out of the starting XI at Edgbaston on Wednesday. Just as he came so close to replacing Stuart Broad for the first Test at Lord's, exerting the kind of pressure which has resulted in his fellow all-rounder's blazing return to form, so Bresnan may be asked to step aside for Chris Tremlett.

Even if it is hard to believe that Bresnan could be dropped for the third Test, especially as Tremlett has been injured, the 26 year-old insists he has not been given any assurances. "There's not been a bit of that," he says. "When the team finally gets announced it's going to be as interesting for me as everyone else. The selectors have got a nice headache – at least it's nice for them. I'm glad it's not me making the decision although I also hope it's not me who is disappointed. It would be hard for me personally, but it's terrific for English cricket."

Surely the uncertainty has taken some pleasure away from his elation? "No, not at all. I've just been enjoying how well I played and I've also been trying to move house this last week. That's helped take my mind off this next Test, which is probably healthy. But we have such strength in depth. Look at Stevie Finn. He's got the highest strike rate of anyone playing at the minute and he's the youngest bowler to have reached 50 Test wickets. But he can't get into the team right now."

If Bresnan does play this week, and India are beaten again, England will be confirmed as world No1 and his ninth consecutive Test victory would set a new domestic mark. Andrew Strauss was also on the winning side in his first eight Tests – and, internationally, only Eldine Baptiste, who won all 10 of the Tests he played for West Indies between 1983 and 1990, would have a better record than Bresnan.

"It would be nice to get to 10 Tests wins by the end of this series. If we go to Edgbaston and produce the same performance, it's going to be hard for India. But we know how strong they are and there is absolutely no reason for us to get complacent. We've just got to keep doing the basics well – and producing to hold on to our places."

That fierce competition is central to England's sustained improvement. The thorough preparation of the squad under Andy Flower also contrasts sharply with India's inept buildup. Various commentators, led by England's former captain Michael Vaughan, appear certain the next two Tests will repeat the pattern. Did Bresnan also sense on the last day in Nottingham that India had imploded – and now resemble a dejected team?

"It's hard not to look like that when you're on the receiving end. Cricket is all about momentum. If the other side is well on top it's difficult to wrest back that momentum. It takes something pretty special to do that. India were actually on top for periods in that Test.

"We were really struggling until Stuey [Broad] and Swanny [Graeme Swann] led that fightback. The way they batted grasped the momentum back for us. India then rode out a difficult period and looked in charge until Stuey again came back with a hat-trick, and that yanked the momentum back to us."

On his own hat-trick delivery Bresnan bowled "a knee-high full toss. I was thinking, 'bowl full, fast and straight' because that's the most difficult ball to face when you come in. I wasn't even particularly thinking of a magic-ball yorker or anything fancy. I was just trying to aim at the stumps – but it turned out to be a disgustingly bad full toss. Maybe that's why I've only ever taken a hat-trick in the under-11s."

Bresnan was at his very best in his use of the short ball. The way in which he worked over Yuvraj Singh in India's second innings, artfully bullying and dominating before collecting his wicket, underlined his potency. "Having just batted on that wicket I knew the short ball would cause trouble. The odd one bounced and there was a two-paced feel – some deliveries were coming off quite slow while others were kissing the surface and zipping through. Once we started rapping them on the fingers we thought they're not that comfortable. It clearly paid off."

Was Bresnan surprised by how woeful some of India's vaunted batsmen looked against the short ball? "I think we have to accept it was difficult on that surface. But it also shows how well our bowlers adapt. The fact that we can think on our feet and change our plans accordingly was pretty evident."

England's assertive and smart bowling over the past year has limited Bresnan's opportunities and he was only selected for the fourth and fifth Tests of a triumphant Ashes tour. "Obviously it's difficult missing out on Test matches – especially on tour. It's easier when you're at home and you can overcome your disappointment by playing county cricket. But since we came back from Australia I got injured and missed the Sri Lanka series. It was frustrating because I've hit a decent run of form since that fourth Test at Melbourne."

Bresnan bowled beautifully at the MCG, in conditions ideally suited to him, and yet he still had to overcome intense pressure. His composure was striking but did he really feel calm before such an important Test? "Er …," he says, before chuckling again. "Maybe not. But after the first ball I was fine. It was to Ricky Ponting and it was back of a length and pitched on middle and leg and swung and nipped back. But who wouldn't get butterflies in front of 86,000 at the MCG? It was my first Ashes Test and, also, my first Test for a while. So I was a little nervous."

Bresnan held his nerve – as he has done so often before. Even when he made his debut for Yorkshire 10 years ago, aged 16, his solid temperament was noted. The balanced perspective, Bresnan says, stems from his Castleford roots and staying close to family and friends he enjoys drinking with at the Townville Miners Welfare Club. His father, Ray, played for them for years while his mother, Julie, made the teas. "It's a very grounded place and no matter what I've done out on the field, I'm just the same to everyone there as soon as I walk through the door. I'll only start worrying if they stop taking the piss out of me."

He might get a ribbing for falling just short of his first Test century – even if everyone at Townville will secretly believe he's shredded misconceptions about his batting. "I'm a proper all-rounder and I really can bat," Bresnan says. "As long as you have the mindset of a batsman, why shouldn't you play proper cricket shots? I'd have liked a hundred but I'm not too disappointed with the way I got out. It was a decent delivery.

"But you know what? I've probably got about 10 scores over 85 in first-class cricket without getting a hundred. At least I do have four centuries as a first-class player. I got 116 for the England Lions against pretty much the same Indian attack we've just faced. But it was a flat wicket at Chelmsford. Trent Bridge was much more challenging – especially on the third evening, when I had to see off the new ball. That's why it's probably my best ever knock."

Bresnan's batting could yet secure his England place for the next few years and for all the downbeat wit, his ambition is plain. Some of his supporters have suggested he could be "the next Andrew Flintoff" – with a different accent and character. Does Bresnan feel able to compare himself to the Flintoff of old?

"Yeah, definitely. Why wouldn't you set yourself high standards? There's no point attacking anything in life and thinking I'll be average at this. That's a poor way of thinking. So you have to set yourself targets and strive to be as good as you can be. Freddie was definitely a game-changer and it would be very nice to be thought of in the same bracket as him.

"People forget I've been going for 10 years – and I've got the experience now. If they are talking about me in a different sense that's good, but I've always had the belief that I'm more than a one-dimensional cricketer. I've just needed the chance to prove to everyone exactly what I'm about. I'd love another opportunity in this next Test."