Sunday 30 October 2016 13:37, UK
Alastair Cook says his England side's inexperience in sub-continent conditions cost them victory in the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Chasing 273 to win, England collapsed dramatically in the final session on day three, losing all 10 wickets for 64 runs in succumbing to a 108-run defeat.
They had been well placed at 100-0 at tea, with Ben Duckett notching a first Test fifty, and Cook himself went through to a half century after the interval while wickets tumbled around him.
"Today we showed our inexperience in these conditions," said Cook. "A lot of these guys have not played many Test matches over here and when that ball got rolling we found it very hard to stop.
"I was out there for a lot of it as well and I couldn't stop that ball. I've played a bit of cricket in the sub-continent, and I've found these two games particularly tough.
"The first 20, 30 balls are so difficult to start with - there's pressure, men round the bat, the crowd get into it, and it's a very unique pressure.
"Plus you've got one ball skidding on and then the next one ragging past your stumps. It will have opened a lot of the guys' eyes to that.
"The top order have struggled, we can't hide from that. But what was really pleasing today though, was the way Duckett played.
"It has been incredibly tough for him. I've been around the block a bit, but he said to me, 'I've never opened the batting before against two spinners'.
"Suddenly you have to do it on big turning pitches, and it's hard work - today you saw the way he'd have loved to have played all series. He probably worked out his method a little bit more, and it was really good to see."
After the Dhaka defeat, Cook also called for improvement from his spinners ahead of the five-match Test series with India which begins on Wednesday, November 9.
"We're not blessed at the moment with a world-class spinner," said Cook. "We've got to make do with the best we've got.
"Our spinners have to try to hold a length better. Hopefully that can happen with a lot of hard work.
"I thought Zafar Ansari improved as the game went on. He was a little bit nervous, understandably so for the first game of his Test career, but he got better and bowled really well today.
"He could have taken six-for quite easily if we had taken our chances. Today, we should have been chasing 230. Those half chances need to stick in low scoring games.
"Adil Rashid bowled well at the end to take four wickets and Moeen Ali was good in the first innings.
"There are glimpses of the right stuff, though there is improvement to be made."
Watch highlights of day three of the second Test between Bangladesh and England on Sky Sports 5 at 5pm, then stay tuned for the Verdict at 6pm on the same channel.