England Captain Kevin Pietersen said that his side’s defeat to India in the first Test in Chennai was ‘a bitter pill to swallow’ after Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten century denied the tourists.

Notts spinner Graeme Swann finished with two wickets in each innings but India recovered from a poor start to take the spoils by six wickets.

"After day one, if you'd said to us we would be defending 250 on the final day, we'd have taken that. Our boys are hurting but we'll come back strong,” said Pietersen

"To start a Test match two weeks after the tragedy in Mumbai, it's a fair show on both sets of players.

"There are lots of positives to take into our dressing room: the effort everyone's shown, jumping on a plane to come back here - no excuses - and coming in here and putting in a fantastic performance against India."

Stuart Broad faces a battle to prove his fitness in time to be considered for selection when England begin the second test in Mohali on Friday.