Andrew Flintoff has the chance to firmly establish himself as the world’s best all-rounder this winter – providing he can finally prove himself capable of playing match-winning innings in India.

The 30-year-old Lancashire all-rounder enjoyed a spectacular resurgence at the end of the English summer, winning the man-of-the-series award for his outstanding performances during the 4-0 one-day series triumph over South Africa.

His displays prompted captain Kevin Pietersen to claim he was playing “some of the best cricket I’ve ever seen him play,” and confounded predictions that Flintoff would struggle to regain former glories after more than a year out with ankle and side injuries.

But the acid test for Flintoff’s return to form as he prepares for a gruelling seven-match one-day series spanning just 19 days is whether he can finally deliver on Indian soil.

In 11 one-day internationals in India since 2002, Flintoff averages just 20 with the bat and has hit just one-half century during that period with spinners claiming his scalp in eight of those 11 innings.

“I’ve been working hard on opening my game up a little bit more against spin, particularly with coach Andy Flower because he was one of the best players in the world against spin,” said Flintoff.

“We’ve also been going to the nets and Phil Neal has been throwing balls at me and he’s helped me get back to basics – watching the ball hard and keeping my balance and playing to my strengths.

“That was pretty much what I was doing at the end of last season and it worked. The big thing now is that I’ve got a plan of how I want to play – when you’re not playing too well you’ve got so many shots going through your mind you almost panic and want to score runs as quickly as you can.

“I’m now coming back after my fourth operation so all this is almost like a bonus. I don’t know how long I’ll play for but I’m determined to enjoy it.”