Leading a side against a formidable host like India without four frontline players — including the regular captain — is an unenviable task and despite the defeat in Mohali stand-in skipper Andrew Flintoff has done a pretty good job, feels coach Duncan Fletcher.
"He's got a very, very difficult job here. He's an all-rounder — he's got to bowl, bat and captain the side," Fletcher told BBC Sport.
"It's a huge amount of work that he's got to do and he's done very well with a very inexperienced side. There's only one person over 30," said Fletcher.
Fletcher said despite losing the match England had shown that they were capable of putting up a fight against the much experienced Indian team.
"It's a very difficult ask for these young guys. We've got four major players out and four new boys in the side. There were periods when we did play well, but we just weren't consistent enough," he said.
"It's been shown on these wickets that people who go in there and really work at their innings and show a bit of patience get the rewards," he added.
Meanwhile, former captain Geoff Boycott has criticised the tourists for the overdependence on their seam attack and rued the lack of quality spinners in the team.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, former captain Geoff Boycott has criticised the tourists for the overdependence on their seam attack and rued the lack of quality spinners in the team.
{{/usCountry}}"We rely so much on the England seam bowlers. If they get in the game they can keep people down to reasonable totals."
"But we don't have quality spin and that's a factor in India — they have Kumble — so therefore you have to match them in the batting, and I don't think we do," he said.