England's familiar frailties against spin were very evident in last night's record 90-run defeat against India - but the defence of their ICC World Twenty20 crown continues nonetheless.

The major consolation for Stuart Broad, after his team were bowled out at the Premadasa Stadium for their worst Twenty20 score of 80 - in under 15 overs - was that this lowest ebb came in a match of no consequence.

It is a moot, if troubling, point quite what the unequal struggle against Harbhajan Singh (four for 12) means for England's prospects on their return to the sub-Continent for a four-Test tour of India in a month's time.

But their chances of retaining the only International Cricket Council trophy they have ever won, over the next two weeks, are thankfully unhindered - as long as confidence levels have not taken too much of a battering.

Nothing was at stake in this final Group A match for two teams who have already qualified for the Super Eights - a fact which soothed the pain significantly for Broad at least.

"I think we made it pretty easy for India in the end, in losing regular wickets,'' he said.

"But it doesn't change our destiny a huge amount.''

England appeared to have feasible prospects of chasing India's 170 for four - in which Rohit Sharma (55 not out) top-scored - but not for long, once Harbhajan and his fellow spinner Piyush Chawla got to work.

"Although it's a disappointing loss, and especially the way we performed, it doesn't really change what we do,'' added Broad.

"Any international defeat is really frustrating, especially when you put in a performance like that.

"But I think it's a little bit easier to take when it doesn't change what you do. It's not like tomorrow's now going to be a day when we have to go home.

"Knowing that it doesn't change anything really, apart from us having to maybe face a few more spinners in the nets, is nice.''

Broad, in fact, traced England's troubles back not to the introduction of Harbhajan and Chawla at 39 for two after five overs but to the two early wickets lost to left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan.

"Our error today was we lost early wickets,'' said the Nottinghamshire all-rounder.

"Spinners always enjoy bowling to new batsmen.

"We talked the other day how well we hit straight and hard.

''Today to lose the first couple of wickets across the line was a bit disappointing.

''But you learn from your mistakes, and we'll certainly bear that in mind when we come across a wicket like that again.

"I think hitting straight was a much better option than going across the ball.''