England vs India, 4th Test Day 4: 5 Talking Points

India succumbed to a 60-run defeat in the fourth Test at Southampton to hand England an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, with one game to go at The Oval.

Chasing 245 for a win, after England were dismissed for 271 at the start of the day, India were reduced to 22 for 3 by Stuart Broad and James Anderson, before Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane stitched together a 101 run stand to bring their side back into the game.

But at that point, Moeen Ali got one to grip and an inside-edge catch lobbed to Alastair Cook at short-leg sent Kohli on his way and his dismissal proved to be the death knell for the Indians, as the rest failed to stand up and be counted when it mattered the most.

Here are the five talking points from the day's play.

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Kohli-Rahane and the partnership that was

India may have lost the game, but in Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, they did find a pair who was willing to grind it out, take it forward on a per-over basis and frustrate the English bowlers.

Their stand of 101 runs had a lot of singles and several overs of blocking, but what it showed was here were two Indian batsmen, who were willing to play the situation. There was an enormous amount of time left in the game and understanding that they pushed the scoring forward before Kohli fell to Moeen Ali.

Ali torments India again

India fell to the Ali trap again

In future, the present Indian batting line-up could come up against other spinners, but the one who might take time to leave their minds would be Moeen Ali.

There is just something about him and the manner in which he continues to torment India with his simplicity. His greatest strength is his off-break. He doesn't have a carrom ball or a floater or any of the magic deliveries which other spinners boast of, but what he does terrifically is maximising what he has got and that has proven to be too good for India so far.

Broad and Anderson dent India early

The early wickets from Broad and Anderson dented India significantly

As much as Moeen Ali was responsible in England winning the Test match, one can't rule out the small yet significant role that Stuart Broad and James Anderson played at the start of the second innings.

Had India got off to a good start, the pressure on Ali would have been double, but Anderson and Broad ensured that did not happen and so, it was up to Kohli and Rahane to really lift the side up and despite their valiant attempt, it went in vain in the end.

India's lower-order woes

Does Hardik Pandya merit a place in the present side?

In the want to take 20 wickets, Virat Kohli has always wished to play five specialist bowlers and so effectively, India's batting ended with Ajinkya Rahane.

That line of thinking it seems like needs a bit of tinkering. All through the series, India's fast bowlers have been magnificent. With them in such rich vein of form, there is no harm in looking to play the additional batsman and dropping one of the seamers to strengthen the batting and reduce the pressure on Kohli a bit.

The look ahead

Can Kohli and his men make it 3-2?

With the loss at Southampton, the series is gone for India and they will move to The Oval in the hope of reducing the deficit in the margin of defeat. It has been a long, long tour which began at the end of June and extended into the second week of September.

What can do the different to get a consolation win? Should Ravindra Jadeja finally get a game? Should India try Prithvi Shaw and see what he's made of at the international level? Should Ashwin be given a game-off? This and several other questions lay in front of Kohli and management as they move back to London. The series may be gone, but to end the tour with a win would soothe the wounds just a fair bit, if not more.