Whistles shrieked and grown men imitated them, as India completed the formalities and went 1-0 up in the three-Test series. These tough, boisterous northerners who love nothing more than a good fight did not empty their lungs merely in celebration, but also because it was their last chance to. The picnic had reached its climax. In many ways, this didn't seem like a Test match at all. Much of the drama of Test cricket comes from the contest between individuals: Tendulkar v McGrath, Hayden v Harbhajan, Lara v Muralitharan. There have been many this year. There was none here, though Flintoff v Ganguly on the third day showed potential in terms of banter, but didn't last long. One expected Hussain and Harbhajan to have a titanic struggle today. Some other time, perhaps.

The crowd, however, was more interested in lusty hitting by their heroes than any good cricket. Deep Dasgupta's dismissal was cheered on the second day less out of appreciation for his admirable obduracy than as a welcome for Sachin Tendulkar, who they hoped would regale them with some big hitting. But sparkling strokeplay was sporadic, and as the match wore on, the crowd began to get bored.

One section of the audience booed Harbhajan Singh with the slogan of "Harbhajan Hai Hai" – shame on you Harbhajan – after he'd bowled an excellent maiden. This was presumably because a wicket hadn't fallen. They yelled "Sachin, Sachin" after England's sixth wicket fell, as if Tendulkar was next man in. One goofy bunch broke into an inexplicable chant of "Pakistan Murdabad" – death to Pakistan – which prompted my colleague from England, Tanya Aldred, to ask me if they were saying anything about America or England. No, they weren't.

If anything, they were impressed by the Englishmen, especially Nasser Hussain. His dignified demeanour off the field, and the nature of his batting on it, have wowed the Indian people. This is not just because he was born in Chennai – though many wish he had stayed on. Maybe Sourav Ganguly wouldn't be leading the country then.

If India took away anything from this match, it was the performance of Tinu Yohannan and Anil Kumble. The selectors, who have been criticised often enough in the past, got it spot-on with Yohannan, and they must be commended for spotting a man who played only eight first-class games before this. He bowled well within himself in the second innings, found a lot of movement and got his line and length right. His occasional inconsistencies can be condoned because of his inexperience; in any case, both his wickets came off short deliveries.

Anil Kumble, relegated to the role of supporting spinner, and whose playing days seemed to be winding down in South Africa, hit back with a vengeance. His batting has become unexpectedly resolute in recent times, and he bowled today like a man on a mission to resurrect his position as a strike bowler. His biggest strength has always been his control, and the metronomic monotony of his bowling lured unsuspecting batsmen into complacency, which is when his flippers and googlies – he mixed in a few of them today – did the job for him. India's biggest matchwinner at home for a decade now is far from done.

Amit Varma is assistant editor, Wisden.com India.

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