Wednesday, November 21, 2001 It is hard to beat India in India but England can do it. I think it will be a fascinating series because the teams are more closely matched than is being suggested. In 1999, I coached Pakistan to victory in India (if you count the Asian Test Championship game), and the approach is vital. This is what I would do if I were in charge of England:

1. Think positive. Much as England did against Pakistan and Sri Lanka on their last two tours. England took a lot of criticism for slow play then but you can be positive in defence and in attack. That's the way England played it — they seized a match-winning opportunity when they saw one. England will lose if they adopt a negative mindset and go in looking for a draw. I see Australia's loss to India as more of a heroic failure than a disaster. They dared to win. England should do the same.

2. Forget Australia. Losing at home to them this summer was not the end of the world. That defeat might be preying on the players' minds but there was no disgrace in losing to the best side in the world. Instead, England's most relevant memory is their success last winter.

3. Up the heat on India. They saved the second Test in South Africa but bad form and controversies are unsettling the Indians. They have gone backwards since beating Australia. The weight of expectation is a big burden for the Indian players. If you put them on the back foot, the pressure on their players can become suffocating.

4. Don't panic about Tendulkar and company. England should choose a particular line to bowl and stick to it. Their bowlers showed they had the discipline to do that last winter. Yes, England's bowling attack is weak and this is where England could lose the series. But if England can keep India's batsmen quiet, frustration and pressure will produce wickets from nowhere. Let the Indian batsmen make the mistakes.

5. It's not all spin. Mohali is a seaming track and should suit the tourists because the conditions are more like England. Gough and Caddick might wish they had made the trip after all.

6. Dominate Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. The rest of the bowling does not pose much of a threat. Apart from Mohali the Indians will prepare spinning tracks — that is their strength. England have enough good players of spin, and the quality in their batting should keep them in the game.

7. Follow Thorpe's lead. He is watchful in defence, uses his feet, and plays close to his body. He also plays late, which is something you can do on slow turners. That's why he was so successful last winter.

8. Stay flexible. England must not be afraid to change their team selection and tactics. On this kind of tour it is important to make full use of your squad. If a player is out of touch, try someone else. You can not afford to wait for three Tests before deciding that a change is needed. The same goes for on field tactics.

9. The team and the mission come first, not the individual. Mike Gatting forgot this golden rule when he delayed his apology to Shakoor Rana in 1987. England would have won the Faisalabad Test if he had acted quickly and put his nation's cause above his personal feelings. It is easy to forget your priorities in South Asia but I don't expect Nasser to.

10. Make friends. England players should forget the horror stories that they will have been told. India is an enjoyable place and the hotels, food, and culture are great. Off-field contentment will breed on field success.

Javed Miandad, Pakistan's most prolific batsman, was talking to Kamran Abbasi.

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