Throughout the series, Nasser Hussain gave us his views on the day's play in his Captain Calling column, available to Wisden members. Here, for all our readers, are some of the highlights Mohali Test, Day 1
England 238, India 24-1 (Dasgupta 19*, Kumble 1*)

That collapse wasn't what we wanted – to say the least. But there were a couple of lads in James Foster and Richard Dawson making their debuts, and two more in James Ormond and Matthew Hoggard who are still very new to Test cricket. I remember how I felt walking out to bat in a Test when I was inexperienced – it really is nerve-wracking. And English players just don't have the experience of facing unorthodox spinners like Harbhajan – all we ever see at home are normal finger-spinners. more

Mohali Test, Day 2
India 262-3 (Dravid 78*, Tendulkar 31*)

No-one drops catches on purpose, so I don't get angry when it happens. At the start of play I reminded the boys that it was still a pretty good wicket and we had to keep our discipline, and for the first five and a half hours we bowled really well, with purpose and direction. Then in that last half hour we probably lost a little focus. But they have the sort of players who will hammer you all round the wicket if you drift at all – so if we hadn't kept our focus so well for most of the day they'd be up to 400 by now. more

Mohali Test, Day 3
India 469, England 34/0 (Butcher 11*, Trescothick 16*)

For some reason, after chasing leather all round the Punjab, Nasser was unavailable for comment today

Mohali Test, Day 4
India 469 (Dasgupta 100) and 5-0 beat England 238 and 235 by 10 wickets

To collapse from 200 for 3 to 230 all out in the first innings just isn't good enough – and that's where we lost the game. The main difference between our performance today and our performances last winter is experience. It's no coincidence that the three batters who got runs; myself, Thorpy and Tresco, were the three who were out there in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. If I was going into this game again, I'd pick the same side. But I'm not going to insist on naughty-boy nets. It's up to each player to think about his own performance and how they can improve. It's only going to get more difficult from here. Now it's down to strength of character. more

Ahmedabad Test, Day 1
England 277-6 (White 42*, Foster 15*)

The loss of Graham Thorpe is a huge blow for the team ... it's a private matter that's been brewing for a few weeks now. Anyone who plays at this level knows that if you aren't with it 100% up top, you are going to struggle, so we decided it would be best for all concerned if he went home to sort things out.

We can't be too unhappy with our position at the end of today's play … but this is going to be a good pitch for at least two days, maybe more. I'd reckon it's a 350 pitch, so if Fozzie [James Foster] and Chalky can get us another 80 tomorrow we should be in with a shout. more

Ahmedabad Test, Day 2
England 407, India 71-2 (Dravid 5*, Tendulkar 2*) At the start of play I'd have settled … well, not settled, but I'd have been happy with 350. But instead, thanks to a great innings from Craig White, and some good support from the tail, we've got ourselves up to 410. It reminded me of the way we played last winter to be honest, with the tail getting stuck in, partnerships all down the order, even from Matthew Hoggard at the end there. And we picked up two good wickets as well.

Once again, Craig proved that class is permanent, and James Foster had a good day as well, but people are far too up and down in their opinions, especially in England. This tour is all about sustained performance – watching, learning, improving. more

Ahmedabad Test, Day 3
India 291, England 15-0 (Butcher 5*, Trescothick 10*)

I'm a guy who has a lot of respect for the game of cricket and its traditions, and sometimes you just have to hold your hand up and accept that you're playing against a genius. I had never captained against Sachin Tendulkar before this series, and I can now say that he is bloody difficult to bowl at! It was a very special innings from a very special player. more

Ahmedabad Test, Day 4
England 257, India 17-0 (Das 11*, Dasgupta 6*)

Our aim was to bat well for most of the day, see how things stood, then give them seven or eight overs in the evening. They're still in the game, but I know which dressing room I'd rather be in at the moment.

Mark Butcher played a heroic knock. He was feeling fine this morning, but he got pretty nauseous in the afternoon and at the end of every over he was coming up to me and saying, "Skip, I'm going to be sick in a minute." When he did finally get out he dashed straight off to the loo and got it all out of his system. He's done brilliantly for me in this Test - 150 runs, I couldn't ask for more. He's got his strengths and weaknesses, just like anyone else, but he's worked hard and come good. more

Ahmedabad Test, Day 5
India 198-3 (Dravid 26*, Ganguly 16*)

In the end it wasn't to be. To be honest we had banked on the pitch deteriorating far more than it did, and apart from a few areas around the bowlers' footmarks it had held together pretty well. Our bowlers are a dedicated and disciplined bunch of guys, but it's fair to say there's not a whole lot of mystery about them. To dislodge a batting line-up of this calibre we really needed the pitch to explode.

The biggest positive to be taken out of this game is that we've learnt that we can win … We scored 400, we bowled India out, we set them a target and we gave ourselves a chance of victory. I can't ask for anything more than effort. more

Bangalore Test, Day 1
England 255-6 (White 30*, Foster 14*)

Clearly Michael Vaughan's dismissal is the main talking point of the day. It's a question of whether certain actions are in the spirit of the game, and that's purely a judgment call. It's not a question of right or wrong. If the Indians felt that the appeal was in the spirit of the game, then that's their call. I know what my gut feeling and Michael's gut feeling is about it all, and I really don't want to say any more than that. more

Bangalore Test, Day 2
England 336, India 99-3 (Tendulkar 50*, Dravid 1*)

It shows a very English mentality to start muttering about the tactics when we are on top. I refuse to ask my bowlers to put the ball exactly where Tendulkar likes it, say to him, "Here you go, Sachin, help yourself to a double-century", and watch him race off at five runs an over.

Last week everyone thought the wheels were coming off – at least this week we've got a plan. The next side that comes out here might puff out their chests and declare that they're going to bowl India out twice and win by a distance. The reality is that that does not happen out here. We've got three days left of a hard tour, and our bodies are all starting to fall apart a bit, but we're going to work every inch of the way. more

Bangalore Test, Day 3
India 218-7 (Kumble 10*, Harbhajan Singh 0*)

Only last year India were 500-odd for 6 against Australia, with VVS Laxman on 281. Today, our inexperienced attack of Hoggard, Flintoff, Giles and Dawson has the same side on 218 for 7. Enough said.

Still, we aren't even halfway through this match, and as a team we are certainly not good enough to look at anything but a session at a time. Things change quickly in the subcontinent – we might not even get those three wickets. But whatever happens, when we get our turn we will have to play it carefully. The new ball will be a threat, though they've only got Srinath to use it, but I can't second-guess what Ganguly's approach will be – I spend enough time racking my own brains, let alone his. more

Bangalore Test, Day 4
India 238, England 33-0 (Butcher 23*, Trescothick 9*)

As I've said all along, it only takes a couple of hours for everything to turn on its head in Test cricket. It was two hours on the first day of the first Test that put us on the back foot in this series. From 200 for 3 we collapsed to 238 all out, and if we'd gone on to make 450 in that innings, like we've done since, there'd be everything to play for in this match.

We outplayed them at Ahmedabad, we've outplayed them here, and if it wasn't for all the rain we'd be well ahead of the game at the moment and quids in. We want to win, obviously, but a 2-0 defeat would not be a fair reflection of the series. more

Bangalore Test, Day 5
India 238, England 33-0 (Butcher 23*, Trescothick 9*)

At no stage at all did I look up and wish I had Gough and Caddick to fall back on. There's never any point in wishing for any side other than the one you're given. If I did that, I could hope to have a Waugh, a Warne, even a Bradman in my team. The boys gave everything on this tour, and I am immensely proud of them. more

Nasser Hussain was talking to Andrew Miller and Camilla Rossiter. His thoughts appeared on Wisden.com throughout the Test series, and will return in January for the one-dayers.

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