Wednesday, November 14, 2001 A two-part guide to what England's tourists need to do in India. First, the batsmen

Marcus Trescothick
You will find runs easier to come by against the new ball than at any stage in your Test career, which is lucky because for the first time you'll be the senior partner. So, please, don't do the hard work, then throw it away. In half of your 30 Test innings so far, you've got to 23 but failed to pass 78. The answer? Go easy on the slog sweep, which hasn't been a percentage shot recently.

Michael Vaughan
Whatever you do, don't get injured. It's cost you half your Test career so far: that average should be 42, not 32. Your greatest virtue is patience, so no hair-brained dashes down the wicket like in Colombo eight months ago. Just watch a video of your most recent Test innings: a world-class 120 against Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain at Old Trafford in May. It was stunning in its simplicity. You can do it again.

Mark Butcher
Here's your chance to show us Headingley was no fluke. Your challenge will be to put into practice what you've learnt on those matting wickets in the Oval nets, and not to lunge at Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. You play the guitar, which means you know how to caress a piece of wood: soft hands are the key. You're open-minded too, so encourage your team-mates to come along for the ride - if security will let you.

Nasser Hussain
You're getting better at your cricket history, so you'll know how Tony Greig won over a nation on England's triumphant tour of India in 1976-77: embrace the culture, wow the crowd, stop, look and listen. And keep your cool when Tendulkar tears your novice attack to pieces. Your poppadum fingers won't be threatened by India's chicken-korma seamers, so you can concentrate on maintaining your revival with the bat.

Graham Thorpe
Try not to give the press the excuse to call you surly. Lie back and think of last winter. You adapted perfectly to the conditions, combining masterpieces of self-denial (Lahore) with object lessons in counterattack (Kandy and Colombo). Use your feet to harry Harbhajan, and your hands to stop Sachin. And for goodness' sake, smile.

Mark Ramprakash
Since exorcising years of frustration with that fatal hoick against Shane Warne, you've been a different man. Stay relaxed, and the runs will come in India, because you play spin intelligently. Just don't get bogged down. And don't forget that you've topped the averages on your last two tours (West Indies in 1997-98, Australia in 1998-99). The constant hubbub of India should drown out Ian Botham's commentary-box carping.

Usman Afzaal
Opportunities will be limited, but don't despair. Everyone calls you a streetfighter, and now you must be a cheerleader too. Use the net sessions to sharpen your technique against spin - that ugly thrust against Warne at Edgbaston still causes shudders - and your own left-arm slow stuff. And wait for the others to get the runs (off the pitch, that is).

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com. His English Angle appears every Wednesday. Part two of this column follows on Thursday.

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