After demolishing the West Indies at the start of England's cricketing summer, new Head coach Peter Moores was looking for performance against India, much more talented side. West Indies were poor in the test series but looked threatening in the one-day matches. India are a side who can give any one a good match if they are playing well and certainly would be a serious challenge for England.

England hadn't lost a test series at home for 6 years, and got off to a good start against India in search of continuing that run. England opened up by scoring 298 runs with captain Michael Vaughan and opener Andrew Strauss both scored half centuries. James Anderson then staked his claim for a regular spot in the England X1 by taking 5 wickets as India were bowled out for just 201, a lead of 97 for England after the 1st innings. England set about trying to build on that lead. The inspirational Kevin Pietersen scored 134 as England posted 281, setting India 379 to win whilst England just needed to bowl the Indians out for victory. India never looked like reaching their target, but at one point, England looked on course for victory. Having taken 9 wickets, England were nearly at victory. But India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sri Sreesanth held out to secure an unlikely draw for India.

Both sides had a point to prove after the Lords test. At Trent Bridge, it was India who came out of the blocks the quickest, skittling England for just 198, before the golden boy of Indian cricket Sachin Tendulkar hit 91 and Karthik, Jaffer, Ganguly and Laxman all scored half centuries as India clocked up a lead of 283 runs. To remain competitive, England needed a big score and Michael Vaughan led the fightback. He top scored with124 whilst new one-day captain Paul Collingwood scored 63 and Strauss weighed with 55. England's 355 left India needing only 72 runs which they scored with ease to wrap up a 7 wicket victory. Victory in the final test was a must if England were to avoid a home series defeat for the first time in 6 years.

Any hope of an English victory at The Oval was all but wiped as India recorded a mammoth 664. Anil Kumble scored his first ever test 100 whilst Karthik and Dhoni narrowly missed out on centuries. In reply, England managed 345 with Collingwood, Ian Bell and Alistair Cook all hitting sixties. Despite being miles in front, Rahul Dravid bizarrely didn't enforce the follow on. India declared on 180 to leave England an unlikely 500 to level the series. Another Pietersen century helped England to 369-6 to draw, but their record at home was gone. Afirst series defeat in 12 series was a bitter blow.

England looked to salvage some pride in the 7 match one-day series. They started off brightly at The Rose Bowl in the first match. Bell and Cook scored centuries as England reached 288. India were woeful in reply, bowled out for 184 to give the home side the first match by 104 runs.

India turned things around in the second ODI at Bristol. Dravid hit 92 while Tendulkar fell just 1 run short of a hundred as India hit 329. England weren't far behind with Bell and Dimi Mascarenhas hit 50's as England fell 9 runs short of India's total. At 1-1 the series looked as if it was going to be a tight one.

Ian Bell made it 3 consecutive fifties and one day captain Collingwood chipped in with 44 to put England on 281. Dravid (72) and Ganguly (56) lead India's charge for victory, but they fell 42 runs short as England took a 2-1 series lead.

After the heroics of Bell in the first 3 matches, it was Stuart Broad who put in a match winning performance. First, he took 4 wickets to restrict India to 212. Then, with England struggling on 114-7, he and Ravi Bopara guided England to a 3 wicket win at Old Trafford.

A massive fightback was needed by India. This started at Headingley, Yorkshire. Yuvraj Singh hit 72 as India posted 324. Rain interrupted play and despite a Collingwood 91, England lost by 38 runs via the Duckworth Lewis method.

ODI number 6 was at The Oval. Owais Shah hit 107 and Luke Wright scored 50 on debut whilst Mascarenhas hit 5 consecutive sixes to help England score a challenging 316. That wasn't enough as Tendulkar smashed 94 to give India a 2 wicket win.

The series went to a nail biting decider at Lords. The momentum was with India, but the wind was knocked from their sails as a superb bowling display by England left India on a meagre 187. In reply, however, openers Matt Prior and Luke Wright both fell on 0 to leave England struggling. Bell and Pietersen came to the crease and constructed a 63 run partnership. When Bell fell, Collingwood and Pietersen picked off the remaining runs to secure a one-day series victory. This gave England a lift heading into the Twenty20 World Cup. That came to a disappointing end for England.

So it's the same old from England, inconsistency. They'll have to improve heading to Sri Lanka for another one-day series. England will take confidence from this victory against India and it'll be another rollercoaster ride over the cricketing winter for England.