Yet another opportunity to win a Test series in England was missed on Sunday when Team India lost the fourth Test by 60 runs as the hosts took a 3-1 lead in the five-match series. The knives were out understandably for a thorough post-mortem on where Virat Kohli & Co faltered. Insipid batting, barring skipper Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, would of course rank at the top for the critics. There are reasons galore for the flop show by India’s top three batsmen and spineless show from the middle order.

However, part of the blame also rests with the bowlers. Though the Indian bowlers impressed by claiming 20 wickets in all three Tests except in the second match at Lord’s, the number of runs conceded in charity is an area of grave concern for the Indian think-tank. In a low-scoring crucial Test match at Southampton, India’s bowlers conceded 34 runs in extras in the first innings. England, on the other hand, gave away just 17 in extras. In the second innings, India did manage to cut down sundries to nine, but England did far better to give away just two runs.