INDIA’S media have lamented the “abject surrender” and “painful and predictable” series defeat to England with scathing commentary.

“All out for 94 in 29.2 overs. That farcical scoreline reflected India’s embarrassment of massive proportions and England’s complete domination”, wrote G Unnikrishnan in the Deccan Herald.
The Hindu’s Vijaya Kumar wrote: “The stench of defeat has become second nature to India” in an article headlined ‘India plumbs new depths’.
The Hindustan Times said MS Dhoni’s side “sank to a new low” in the fifth Test defeat by an innings and 244 runs, India’s third heaviest and 15th inside three days.
“Dhoni redeemed his reputation as a batsman, but the annihilation raised questions about his ability to take India forward, and the same is true for coach Duncan Fletcher,” author Sanjjeev K. Samyal wrote.
“There is need for accountability and the buck stops with the captain and coach. There was nothing wrong with the pitch, and in the same conditions, England scored 486.
“More than the margin of defeat, the manner of capitulation stood out, having thrown in the towel on the opening morning.
“The worst feeling was sitting in the skipper’s post-match press conference, as one knew nothing was going to come out of it – no post-mortem or analysis. As far as Tests are concerned, there’s little hope for Indian cricket in this way”.
Writing for The Times of India, Jamie Alter predicted the Test series would now give England the upper hand in the coming one-day series against the reigning World Cup champions.
“The good news is that the Test series is over,” wrote Alter. “The bad news is that the shellackings received in three consecutive Tests may carry into the ODI series, and that the team’s confidence is shattered. Fans of this team have little to feel cheerful about.
“Some will find this a harsh assessment, but with a little tweaking, the infamous description that was used to describe Ian Botham’s England when they touched down in Australia for the 1986-87 Ashes can be applied to this Indian side: Can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t field.” (CA)