Pietersen backs players to perform

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The England captain remained surprisingly unconcerned by the tourists' dismal 124-run defeat in their final warm-up match against a Mumbai XI on Tuesday after they were dismissed for a lowly 98.

"I'm not going to criticise or do anything," stressed Pietersen. "I'll back all the lads in the dressing room to know that when we travel to Rajkot they are going to have their heads on."

He added: "This is just a quick little lesson and a quick little reminder that we need to get back into winning ways - there's no drama."

Pietersen's side were hammered by a side comprising none of Mumbai's squad for the Ranji Trophy, the major India domestic competition, with 23-year-old seamer Kshemal Waingankar ripping through the top order to claim five for 37.

If England needed a wake-up call before facing India this was it with only three players - Samit Patel, Graeme Swann and James Anderson - reaching double figures in reply to Mumbai's 222 for seven.

The atmosphere in Rajkot will certainly be different with a packed crowd expected and pressure on India to continue their winning run after beating Australia in the Test series.

Stuart Broad is facing a fitness test in Rajkot on Thursday to determine whether he can boost England's selection plans.

The 22-year-old Nottinghamshire seamer was rested for the Mumbai XI defeat after reporting a sore right knee. He has since been given an injection and is set to be put through his paces to determine whether he is fit enough to be considered.

Broad's fitness will be a matter of some concern to England, already without left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom, who is yet to bowl at full capacity after arriving in India with a troublesome right Achilles sustained during the Stanford Series in Antigua.