Bedi, Prasanna helped Amiss, like with Hayden

The revelation that Matthew Hayden’s technique against spin only improved from a master-class with Bishan Bedi and Erappali Prasanna is not the first time the Indian spin magicians have helped an overseas batsman hurt India courtesy of their expert advice.

Left-handed opener Hayden, one of the most powerful hitters of a ball in the game, was tutored at training camp in India in 1999 and two years later he returned to India with Australia and averaged 108 in the three-Test series. The tour made Hayden's career.

And now, former England opener Dennis Amiss has recalled how his ex-adversaries helped him through a slump against Indian spin. Amiss was struggling to work out his game against the slow bowling on England’s tour there in 1972-73 but after help from his chief destroyers his form turned radically.

In Amiss’s 50-Test match career left-arm twirler Bedi and leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandresekhar each claimed his wicket on seven occasions. They captured 60 wickets between them in the five-match series against England then and Amiss was dropped after making 90 runs in six innings.

But while Amiss was struggling with his game, sitting out the fourth Test, he received some unexpected assistance that helped him avenge his nightmare trot to score 370 runs in four innings against India in England in 1974. After this he's not surprised to hear they also nurtured Hayden.

“What did the trick for me was a net I had when I was left out on the Indian tour previously,” Amiss recalled. “I couldn’t find any of our bowlers but Bishan Bedi said ‘I’ll bowl to you’ and Prasanna said ‘I’ll bowl to you’, but Chandra never come out.

“They made me play as if there were fielders all around the bat - as I used to get a bit tense in those situations – and I never got out. That was the turning point. They got into trouble for it and Bedi won’t let me forget it!”

To prove he had learned a valuable lesson Amiss scored 179 in Delhi on England’s next tour there in 1976-77. “I threw it away with a tired shot when I should have gone on to make a big 200,” Amiss said.

“I was still benefiting from the help I had been given from Bedi and Prasanna. They are good sports who love to help players no matter what country they play for.”

Just ask Matthew Hayden.