England's cricketers were under extreme pressure to stay in India despite the Mumbai massacre. And they will soon face demands to return there to take part in a two-match Test series which is due to start in less than a fortnight.

The sense of relief felt by Kevin Pietersen and his team on returning home tomorrow will be huge. But thoughts must turn to the questions of if and when they should go back to a country reeling from terrorist attacks that have claimed at least 130 lives.

Indian cricket officials and the England and Wales Cricket Board say the series will go ahead almost as planned; provided safety issues are satisfied and that a venue for the Second Test, to replace Mumbai, can be found.

But there is no doubt the players have been deeply affected by what they have seen on their televisions over the past 36 hours and even the most comforting security reports may not be enough to convince them to go back so soon.

All the England players were living, sleeping and eating in the Taj Mahal Palace, one of the two luxury Mumbai hotels attacked, only a fortnight ago.

They heard reports that the gunmen were trying to seek out British and American citizens. And they realised that, had the terrorists struck 24 hours later, Middlesex's cricketers would have been caught up in the horror following their intended arrival for the now postponed Champions League.

"When you have been in that hotel and you see what happened on television, it is so much more real," said Sean Morris, chief executive of the professional Cricketers' Association, who has been liaising with Pietersen by telephone.

"They were genuinely shocked. They are high-profile people, they've got their families worrying about them and it's not just the 11 guys on the pitch.

"There is a large support staff, and supporters, and to provide security for everyone is very difficult."

Despite all that, England will feel under pressure to return to India in time for the First Test, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday week.

If the Indian Cricket Board's all-powerful vice-president, Lalit Modi, had been successful, the England team would never have left.

Just when it looked as though a swift decision to return home was about to be taken, and shots were still being fired in Mumbai, Modi went on television and radio to insist the series was going ahead. He even suggested the remaining two one-day internationals would be rearranged.

India's determination not to yield to terrorism is perfectly understandable. Indeed, that was the British response in 2005 when a match between England and Australia went ahead at Lord's within days of a murderous attack on the capital. But, in pure cricket terms, there is much more at stake for India than a couple of games.

They are now the undisputed financial powerhouses of international cricket and, with the lucrative Indian Premier League and Champions League bringing the world's top players to the country, there is dismay at the prospect of England staying away.

Modi even insisted the decision to postpone the Champions League was taken for logistical rather than safety reasons. "All eight teams tried to implore us to continue and just change Mumbai," he claimed.

It is not only India, though, who will be desperate for England to resume their tour. With Pakistan now effectively a no-go area for visiting cricketers and Zimbabwe off the map for political rather than security reasons, the International Cricket Council have every reason to hope normal service can be resumed in India.

"Everybody is agreed there is no reason why the Test series should not continue," said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat. And even England's most loyal fans, the Barmy Army, are urging the players to return.