Michael Vaughan: The secret of my success

Lord's, July 25, 2002. England are playing India in the first match of the four-Test series and are yet to score when Zaheer Khan runs up the hill and traps Michael Vaughan plumb in front for 0 with a late inswinger. At the time, it was a disastrous start for England and an embarrassing blob for Vaughan. Now, however, it looks more like a defining moment in a blossoming international career.

After that dismissal, Vaughan sought council from Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, who suggested a slight change in his stance. So later that day, Vaughan duly spent a solid two-hour stint with the bowling machine to iron out his technique - and the rest, as they say, is history. Vaughan scored 100 in the second innings and England went on to win the Test by a comfortable 170 runs, and Vaughan went on to score 615 glorious runs in the series.

So what was the change in his set-up which helped bring such a memorable series against India, and in the Ashes tour that winter - enough to get his photo on the cover of this year's Wisden Cricketers' Almanack? Well, talking to his former England team-mate Michael Atherton during a Channel 4 interview today, Vaughan revealed the secret of his success ... along with the rituals of his thorough preparation before every innings, and the best way to play once you're out there.

Vaughan revealed that, in that two-hour net session, he set the bowling machine to bowl Zaheer-like inswingers all the time, and with the help of the England coaching team, he eradicated his flaws and everything just clicked. He developed what he calls a solid base from which he can easily push back or forward, while, just as importantly, keeping his feet and head still at the point of the bowler's release. This improved his timing and balance, and cut out his previous problem of being caught on the move with his wandering front leg. And as we now know, he put his new technique to immediate effect, starting with the Indians.

Then in the following winter it was Australia's turn to feel the force of Vaughan's bat. He smashed three big centuries in among 633 runs in the five-Test series, and he revealed how a word of advice from Sachin Tendulkar helped him to be on top of his game. "Sachin told me the best way to play Glenn McGrath was to be positive and get on top of him early. Do that and he doesn't like it." And he didn't.

But it hasn't just been McGrath who has felt the treatment, for whoever Vaughan comes up against, he'll play in the same way: "The best thing about opening is that you set the tone for the dressing-room." More often than not, he's got England off to a flyer. "It's important to concentrate, but you've got to look to score all the time and let opposition know you're there for a reason."

But even though he makes batting look so easy, a lot of work and preparation goes into every match to ensure the mind and technique are both in the best of order. "We're lucky that we usually have three days before the start of a Test, so I can study videos of the opposing bowlers and then practise with a bowling machine, using the angles and speed that they bowl with."

And is he nervous before he goes out to bat? "Dead nervous. Me and Tres [Marcus Trescothick] both are, but once we're out there you've just got to make the most of the opportunity." All England fans will be hoping he continues to do just that.