Batting crisis for humbled England

Pietersen was able to explain away a 10-wicket drubbing by the Stanford Superstars in Antigua a little more than a week ago on the grounds that playing for £10million had presented all sorts of new challenges.

But, having started to put their winter back on track by winning Sunday's first warm-up game in India comfortably enough, England produced another of those dire performances which happen all too often and leave most people questioning how much progress is being made.

Today's opponents were hardly household names even in Mumbai. But, having grafted their way to 222 for seven, they routed England for 98 at the Brabourne Stadium, with seamer Khsemal Waingarkar, who has only one first-class appearance to his name, taking five for 37 from eight overs.

Owais Shah was rested after making 83 at the weekend. Apart from him, though, the tourists had their first choice batting line-up on display yet only Samit Patel among the top eight scraped into double figures.

And it could have been even more humiliating because England were 30 for six at one stage before No 9 Graeme Swann (24 not out) and Jimmy Anderson (20) managed to extend the innings to 25 overs.

Pietersen is right when he says that what happens at Rajkot on Friday, in the first of seven one-day internationals against India, will be remembered long after today's events are forgotten. But England's limited-overs form in recent years has been far too fragile for them to take any contest - even a modest warm-up in Mumbai - for granted.

Beating South Africa 4-0 at the end of last summer not only helped to launch Pietersen's reign in fine style but it also raised expectations. For the moment at least, however, reality has kicked in.

England's day began with Stuart Broad joining fellow paceman Ryan Sidebottom on the sidelines because of a sore right knee. Broad, who has become a key member of Pietersen's attack, was left out as "a precaution" but must be doubtful for Friday, along with Sidebottom, who is recovering from ankle and calf injuries.

Even so, the visiting attack did a workmanlike job, with Anderson claiming an early wicket - after having a low catch dropped by keeper Matt Prior - and both Steve Harmison and spinner Patel striking twice apiece.

England should have made shorter work of Mumbai, though, and were left with a task on their hands once a determined 65 from left-hander Sushant Marathe and a quickfire 37 by Shaoib Shaikh set up a respectable total.

But having performed impressively against even more modest opposition on Sunday, England's brittle batting was exposed against the new ball.

Ian Bell set the careless tone by hanging his bat outside off stump against Waingarkar.

Prior, whose performance on both sides of the stumps will be under close scrutiny, then suffered a second successive batting failure when falling leg before to seamer Rajesh Verma.

Waingankar soon claimed his second, and best, victim with Pietersen losing a debatable lbw decision as he tried to whip the ball through mid-wicket in familiar fashion.

Paul Collingwood chipped to mid-on and, having made it to double figures, Patel snicked Waingankar to second slip. Then Andrew Flintoff, fresh from his ton on Sunday was caught behind and Ravi Bopara was bowled.

And Waingankar, who played against England in a warm-up match when they last toured India in 2006, did not have to wait long for his fifth wicket, with Luke Wright deflecting an intended defensive stroke into his stumps.