Alastair Cook had another disappointing series as captain
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Dropped chances costed us dearly - Alastair Cook
England skipper Alastair Cook lamented on missed chances after losing the fourth Test against India by an innings and 36 runs on the final day.
The visitors handed one reprieve each to Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli and Jayant Yadav, who did the most of the scoring in India's first innings total of 631.
Vijay, who scored a brilliant 136 had a nervous moment when Jonny Bairstow missed his stumping when he was on 45 while Indian captain Kohli when on 68 was dropped by Adil Rashid, even though it was a difficult chance. Kohli went on to add another 167 runs to bat England out of the game.
England vice-captain Joe Root dropped Yadav in the slips when he was on eight and it proved another costly one as the 26-year-old completed his maiden Test century.
"We missed three good chances to take wickets and they made us pay," Cook said. "Missing Kohli, missing Vijay and Yadav cost us dearly.
"It is just frustrating. To beat India in these conditions you have to play the perfect game and we haven't managed to do that."
The last time England toured India, it was the spin combination of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann, who helped them clinch the series 2-1 with their accurate and nagging bowling.
However, England could not replicate the same this series, largely due to the ineffectiveness of their current spinners - Moeen Ali, Rashid, Gareth Batty and Zafar Ansari.
In the fourth game in Mumbai, Ali and Rashid bowled combined 108 overs and shared six wickets between them as compared to Ravichandran Ashwin, who got six wickets in just 20 overs in the second innings and overall 12 wickets in the game.
Admitting Rashid and Ali were the best England had got in terms of spin, Cook also acknowledged that unless they improve their spin department, it will be tough to win games in sub-continent.
"No disrespect to Mo and Rash but Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar were world class bowlers in 2012," Cook told reporters. "In these conditions you need that.
"Mo and Rash have bowled well but they are not yet in that league... I do not mean that disrespectfully at all and that is why we need a slightly different balance to the side.
"In 2012, we could play the four bowlers, two seamers and two spinners, but in this side we need more options."
The fifth and final Test of the series is scheduled to play in Chennai on 16th December with India having a lead of 3-0 over England.
© Cricket World 2016
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