Former captain Geoffrey Boycott has questionedEngland's ability to play spin on the turning sub-continent pitches after theylost three quick wickets in the first Test against India in Ahmedabad.
After India declared at a mammoth 521 for eight on the secondevening, opener Nick Compton, James Anderson and Jonathan Trott fell in thespace of 13 balls to leave the visitors struggling at 41 for three at close.
"We haven't really proved in our mind or in ourtechnique that we can play spin. You can practise as much as you want, at asmany bowlers as you want, in the nets, but when you're out in the middle in aTest match there are four guys round the bat and you're on nought - it's atotally different game,"
Boycott was quoted as saying by 'BBC Sport'.
"Part of it's in the head. Everything looks alright andsuddenly we're three down. We've had 18 overs of England batting and we'retalking about the follow-on, which tells us everything. It's not lookinggood," he said.
Compton made nine on his England Test debut before he was bowledthrough the gate by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who had Trott taken atshort-leg after night-watchman Anderson fell in similar fashion to slowleft-armer Pragyan Ojha.
Captain Alastair Cook will resume day three on 22, alongsidethe returning Kevin Pietersen (6).
"KP is a super player, Trott and Cook will graft and they'vegot big hearts," said Boycott. "But I'm looking at three decentplayers and three big question marks.
"Compton was bowled between bat and pad. Samit Patelhas played well against spinners in the warm-ups but has he done it in a Testmatch? Then there's Ian Bell. He was all at sea against the Pakistanis (in theUAE earlier this year), and when he goes home there's Eoin Morgan, theleft-hander who didn't do too well in the UAE," he said.
England need another 281 runs to avaoid follow-on with threefull days to play.
"We've got two kids from Yorkshire (Jonny Bairstow and JoeRoot) - they've never been on tour and never seen it turn like this. Thatdoesn't fill me with confidence when you're facing 520," said the formeropener.