Samit Patel, Johny Bairstow, Nick Compton  and Joe Root celebrating England's win

This was an amazing series. England have registered their first Test series win in India after '85-'86. This one is very special, because India is among the top rivals for England at the moment. The battles between these two teams have been heated and emotional in recent years. England last visited India during the 26/11 attack on Taj hotel in Mumbai. Kevin Pietersen was the captain at that time and some of the England players, like Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Harmisson were reluctant to go back to India to play Tests. It wasn't a tour England would like to remember. The same Jimmy Anderson who bagged the Man of the Match award today, bowled crap on the previous tour. I remember I was expecting better because he had started to learn bowling well in the sub-continent, showing promise in Sri Lanka at the end of '07. Nevertheless, his bowling has come of age and he is no longer the bowler English fans dread seeing in the sub-continent. The opposition batsmen dread him now.

It feels wonderful to not only have beaten India, but to beat them at spin. England has long been known to struggle against spin bowling and as a fast bowling superpower, lacking a quality spinner. But, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann have changed that. Swann has been performing consistently throughout his career and having Monty gives England an advantage on pitches that favour spin. England have James Anderson, Steven Finn, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann who are all threatening. Having this kind of variety gives England the potential to be world beaters.

Kevin Pietersen with the signatures of himself, Cook, Compton, Trott, Bell, Patel, Root, Prior, Swann, Anderson, Bairstow and Flower

This is the series England players would like to remember when things are hard. These kind of contests keep Test cricket alive and make cricketers desire the England jersey. The changes England have made deserve applauding. Picking Monty after the 1st Test, dropping Broad and picking Joe Root for the final Test have proved to be perfect decisions. I'm happy with all of these. Broad is an asset in the shorter forms of the game, but I've never really liked seeing him in Tests and Monty Panesar is definitely worth a go, every time England tours India. Samit Patel also seems to be fitter for the shorter formats. With the way Joe Root batted, he showed the potential Alastair Cook did when he made his debut in the same country, India, at the same age of 21, though Root is almost 22.

In the final game, I am personally most impressed by Root and Pietersen. This pitch was the reverse of what we usually see. It was toughest on Day 1 and flattened as the game progressed. Both Root and Pietersen scored 73 in the 1st innings. This was KP's slowest innings, with the strike rate of 39 and Root batted with a strike of 32. Root played the most deliveries, 229, followed by KP, 188, followed by Prior, 142 and finally Trott, 133. On a pitch like this, it takes great concentration to bat. I was waiting for an innings of patience from KP. England will be very happy with this series as Bell and Trott, the two batsmen who have been struggling, scored centuries in the end.

I think the main difference this time has been in the approach of England and the credit goes to Captain Cook. To me it seems that the Board makes the captain and the captain makes the players and the team. England reflected what Alastair Cook is made of. Before this series, Kevin Pietersen looked unlikely to play but Cook held meetings with him and persuaded the ECB to take him back. I think he knows how to bring a unit together. His own batting and behaviour show a quiet determination and strength of character, which is what the whole team has showed. He is not loud, but he is anything but soft.