Mark Butcher, 29, burst back onto the international stage last summer with an astounding innings of 173 not out that carried England to victory over the Australians at Headingley. Up to that point his career had been a frustrating mixture of straight-batted excellence and nervous spin-induced flaws. He even captained England in one Test, but his form collapsed and his Test career appeared to be over before an injury crisis gave him a second chance in 2001. When we caught up with him at the team hotel at Heathrow, the high spirits of the summer appeared to have evaporated. He was affable but fidgety, leaning on his elbows and mumbling his answers through his hands. How are you?
[Struggling for enthusiasm] Not too bad.

What have you been doing since the end of the season?
I've been to Portugal for a couple of golfing weekends, which was nice, and then I resumed training about a month ago.

Have you played in India before?
Nah, I haven't been there before.

What are you most looking forward to?
[Raises his eyebrows for a second and pauses.] I guess it'll be the crowds, and the massive, massive interest there is in cricket over there. It's their number one sport, and it'll be like being David Beckham for a couple of weeks.

What are you least looking forward to?
Umm … there's nothing I think I'm absolutely dreading, it must be said. I've heard from various people that India is a fantastic country to visit … so I'm looking forward to that.

You went on record a few weeks back voicing one or two doubts about this tour. Have those been allayed now?
[Emphatically] Well, no. I don't think they have, to be honest. But we're going, that's that!

What have you packed that isn't standard kit?
I've just got a new laptop, which I'll be attempting to work out how to use! And no doubt I'll be picking up the guitar at some stage while I'm out there.

Will you be taking on the prawns?
[Chuckling] Oh definitely! When you're in a different country, you've got to get stuck into the local culture as much as possible.

Is there anyone in the party you haven't met?
Nope, I've met them all. There's a couple I don't know very well, but I'm sure that will change very quickly.

How do you propose to deal with Harbhajan and Kumble?
[Scratches his chin] I've been practising on a few spin mats at The Oval, but I haven't really got a set plan as yet, simply because I haven't played over there before. There may be one or two things you just can't get away with on their tracks, and likewise there might be some things that are more advisable. The most important thing is to get your footwork in good order, so you can get down the pitch if you need to, or sit back in the crease. Either way, I'm not 100% sure of my gameplan.

How do you rate England's chances?
How do I rate England's chances? [Pauses to select the right words.] I think it would be optimistic to say that we will come back with a win, but having said that, if we can get into the positions the guys created in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, then anything can happen. We need to bat for long periods and transfer the pressure back onto the opposition.

What's your personal goal?
I haven't got one. I never set myself personal goals to be honest. The immediate thing is to adapt as quickly as possible, and if I'm feeling good about my form come the first Test, then my personal ambition will be to help the team put big totals on the board.

A Word With ...
Matthew Hoggard
Martyn Ball
Usman Afzaal
Mark Ramprakash

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