Indian conditions tailor made for England

Simon Hughes has spelt out three main reasons for England's historic victory in Mumbai. In his Daily Telegraph column, Hughes suggests the biggest bonus for England was the bounce in the surface that favoured both their spinners and their batsman.

Bounce allows batsmen to play back with more confidence. Numerous times in Alastair Cook's exceptional innings he negotiated a sharply turning ball on the back foot, playing it to safety at the top of the bounce. It also enabled him to play his favourite cuts and pulls. A clean-hitting player such as Kevin Pietersen also prefers the ball to bounce. It is easier to defend against, his booming drives and cross-batted shots work better and he can also get underneath a good length ball and lift it over the infield.