If I was a lazy hack I would simply cut and paste the words from one of many a match report of England in the sub-continent: spin bowling proved their undoing in both innings. Even though the ball was turning, Kevin Pietersen felt unable to entrust Samit Patel, his frontline slow bowler, with more than five overs. Then, defending a huge total of 292, the India spinners capitalised on the low, scratchy pitch to bag nine wickets between them.

For the second time in a row, England failed to see out the full 50 overs and it will take a remarkable effort now to win four of the remaining five games and take the series. They had an opportunity here, as Stuart Broad reduced India to 29 for 3, but a clever stand between Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh knocked them back. The fourth wicket pair did not simply consolidate but kept the run rate healthy, and a 29-ball fifty by Yusuf Pathan gave the total a formidable look.

Pathan made his name as a "floater" in the order for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League this year and has supplanted his brother, Irfan, in the squad. One example, surely, of the way that the 50-over format is becoming an elongated version of Twenty20. While India have grasped this, England are still playing an older version of a rapidly evolving game: Pathan would be considered a bits-and-pieces cricketer by our selectors.

They gave themselves a chance with intelligent use of the new batting powerplay. Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff played themselves in before taking the five-over block and struck 59 runs in the period - Flintoff alone crashing 39 from 15 balls. But spin replaced seam and both players fell in Yuvraj's first over back; Flintoff failing to re-adjust against the lower bounce and Pietersen, who never seemed "in", beaten between bat and pad.

As in Rajkot the most disappointing aspect was India's superiority in running between the wickets and fielding. They put pressure on the England fielders by taking the first run quickly and looking for a second. England were prone to amble. It is also true that India, with their wristiness and experience of these pitches, are more adroit at working the ball into spaces.

Yuvraj joined illustrious company - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman - in completing successive one-day hundreds. He was superb, again. Things can probably get no better for a player whose place in the side was called in to question as recently as a few days ago, but India are going well enough to be able - if they choose - to continue to rest Ishant Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar through the series.