"There is no shame in losing to this Indian side" - Nasser Hussain on England's maiden series loss under Ben Stokes
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain labeled India as the better team by a fair distance as they clinched the series with a game to spare. The Men in Blue attained an unassailable 3-1 lead with a five-wicket win in Ranchi on Monday, February 26.
England lost their third successive match in the series and were unable to capitalize on their initial 1-0 lead after a close win in Hyderabad. The visitors had their moments, particularly in Rajkot and Ranchi, before India made a strong comeback on both occasions to emerge victorious.
As far as the fourth Test is concerned, England endured a horrid day after allowing India to cross the 300-run mark. They were then bowled out for just 146 runs in the second innings, which included a landslide collapse.
"England did not lose the game today, they game was lost yesterday," Hussain said on Sky Sports. "What a turnaround from India. I think India deserve credit for the way they have played throughout the series, to be honest. India have been without some star names, there is a long list of people who are missing, and yet they managed to put in performances.
"I think you have to give India credit for not only the skill they have, but with the mental toughness as well."
Hussain also stated that despite Team India missing several star players, their home record is difficult to usurp and as a result, England should not be demotivated by the series loss.
"Their home record is absolutely phenomenal, so there is no shame in losing to this Indian side. Like with any Test series or even any Test match, you look at key areas, where you let the game slip, and for England, it was all of yesterday. What could have been a 100-run lead ended up being 46 runs," Hussain continued.
India's latest series triumph marks the 17th successive win that they have recorded a red-ball series win on home soil. The England side under Alastair Cook in 2012 remains the last team to beat India at home.
"They put up as much of a fight as they could" - Nasser Hussain on England's display on Day 4 in Ranchi
England needed all 10 wickets on Day 4 to win the fourth Test, and India's spirited batting display to close out Day 3 did not help their case. The bowlers did manage to bring the side back into the contest, courtesy of wickets in quick succession.
However, a brave and unbeaten 72-run stand between Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel had the final say in the proceedings as England could not turn the scare into something significant.
"England did really good today, they put up as much of a fight as they could, they got wickets either side of lunch and when they got Sarfaraz and Jadeja just after Lunch, you felt this was going to be close. But, Shubman Gill showed his class and his calmness, and Dhruv Jurel has just been a revelation to be honest in the two games that he has played, both with the gloves and also with the bat," Hussain added.
India and England will lock horns in the final match of the series in Dharamsala from March 7 onwards.