Thorpe's guide to playing spin

Graham Thorpe has the best record of any Englishman against spin in the last 20 years and was instrumental in series victories in Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2001/02. Now ECB lead batting coach, Thorpe has a key role to play in helping England deal with the subcontinental conditions. His training methods include cutting up bits of carpet to create rough in the nets and he told BBC Sport of his six-point plan to playing spin, including something many would consider obvious, using your brain.

It all sounds very easy, but in the heat of the battle people have to make decisions. And that brings in game-plans, concentration, real clarity in your method and a balance of aggression. Some players naturally like to be more aggressive in their play. But if you have five fielders around the bat, you have to work out how you can possibly move some of them. Just by showing intent, a captain might start moving some of those players back. You have to work out the risk-reward side of it.