'Rohit Sharma is the Don Bradman of turning pitches': Monty Panesar

Excerpts:

You and Swann had a lot of success in 2012/13. What is the key to a visiting spinner doing well in India?

You need a really good stock delivery. When you are under pressure, bowl the stock delivery with a bit of pace on it and get it to turn. That is your bread and butter. Every time I get put under pressure by the Indian batters, I know I can always go back to my stock delivery to get some control. If they have to hit a boundary off my stock delivery, it's got to be a good shot. That's one of the reasons Nathan Lyon does well in India, because he has a very good stock delivery. He gets a lot of overspin, he gets the ball to bounce and turn. Having a good, strong stock delivery is the foundation for any spinner.

Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley are the spinners England have picked. Your assessment.

There will be a lot of pressure on (left-arm) Leach. Yeah, he has a good stock delivery. Bashir, the off-spinner, is an exciting prospect. He is tall and will probably get a bit more bounce with his height. Same with Hartley. We have to see whether they rise to the challenge. As a spinner, the best place to do it is in India. They have got a fantastic opportunity. It's also a great opportunity to see if Leach is a world class spinner. If he does what Lyon does for Australia, then you can say he's world class.

This is Leach's second tour of India. Can he have the impact you had in 2012/13?

It really depends on how he has recovered from his injury. Because his bowling arm is so high, he puts a lot of pressure on his lower back. You have to see how his body reacts because he's going to be bowling a lot of overs. It depends on how the Indian batters play him as well. Do they put him under pressure straightaway so that he finds it difficult? Or, do we see Leach rise to the occasion? This is his opportunity to front up and show he's one of the world class spinners at the moment.

In 2012/13, you and Swann bowled quick through the air and got maximum purchase while Ashwin and the others struggled for India. What is the right pace for a spinner in India?

If the ball is turning quite a lot, then you tend to bowl slightly quicker so that the batter can't come down the pitch. If it's not turning as much, then you maybe go a little bit slower and focus on the shape and dip, so you deceive the batter in the air. Then you don't have to turn it as much. It depends on the nature of the pitch. Once you find the optimum pace for a particular pitch, you then just go a little bit slower or little bit quicker (for variation). There's an optimum pace for every pitch where the ball turns at its maximum. That's what you have got to figure out as a spinner.

Do England's current spinners inherently bowl a bit quicker? Or do they need to work on it?

Leach must quickly work this out because he's the premier spinner. I know there's a lot of pressure on him. But in India, there's that demand. Ben Stokes will go to him. And he will have to respond to the demands. Leach has got the character and strength to bowl like we've seen him bowl at his best. But can he be the match-winner in India? We haven't seen that yet. That will be fascinating to watch.

Bashir and Hartley are yet to play Tests and have moderate first-class records. Is it a risk to have included them?

It could backfire. It is a huge risk to be bringing a couple of uncapped spinners. But this is how the England management selects players now. It is the Bazball era. They have made the decision that they want slightly taller spinners because they will get a bit more bounce and could be more dangerous on Indian pitches. They have thrown them at the deep end. Would they have picked two rookie fast bowlers for an Ashes series in Australia? I don't think so. But in India, spinners are in the game always. So, they can probably afford to do that.

Indian batters carry a reputation as good players of spin but have also had issues on turning tracks. Do you feel the current Indian batters play spin well?

Indian batters are attacking against the turning ball. They are a bit more fearless. The key man for India is going to be Rohit Sharma. He's the Don Bradman of turning pitches. His record is unbelievable. England have to get Rohit out early right through to have a chance of winning the Test series. If England can keep Rohit quiet, India will be going to Plan B. You then put the younger batters under pressure. That is going to be key.

Ashwin is a much-improved bowler since 2012/13. He is 10 away from 500 wickets. What do you make of his journey?

He has had the mindset to keep adapting and bowling different deliveries. He has kept getting better. It's not easy all the time to take a lot of wickets on turning pitches. He's been given turners at home, but you can see the way he adapts all the time. He's like an app, he keeps updating every six months! That's what he has done through his career. I always find that I am a student when it comes to Ashwin's bowling. I feel I am continually learning something new about his bowling. That's the asset Ashwin is. He is a brilliant bowler.

Swann worked with these young spinners for England Lions recently. How much will that help?

Swanny comes up with very good points. He thinks about how to get the batters out. He looks for clues in a batter’s technique. From a tactical point of view, he will definitely help. But game awareness and all that can crumble if the spinners don't hold themselves together under pressure. The microscope will be on the three young and inexperienced spinners. When the Indian batters are on top, how do these spinners respond? What is their temperament like? That's something that cannot be taught. You learn as you play under pressure.