The last-wicket partnership which saved some of England's bacon today was not as streaky as it seemed. James Foster and Richard Dawson, both 21, had not only batted together before, but they did so in far loftier postitions than Nos. 9 and 11. "Dawson batted about No. 6 and I batted about No. 7 for the Under-19s," Foster said afterwards. "We hadn't batted together for a couple of years, but it was really good - straight away we encouraged each other and were focussed on what we could do.

"We were just trying to accumulate really, not try and do anything too fancy, just tried to keep it as simple as we could. I was very pleased to spend some time out in the middle. I'd been feeling a bit rusty but today has really boosted my confidence."

In all the mudslinging over Mohali, it has been forgotten that up to four England players might make their debuts on Monday - and Foster is the man most likely, though he isn't mentally pulling on his presentation cap yet.

"I'm still not taking it as a guarantee, [though I've been] really pleased in the way I've been keeping. I feel like I've been improving just because of all the cricket I've been playing. I've been getting encouragement from all the guys which is really nice. I didn't think my career would have gone this fast."

He is also learning diplomacy, as he showed by fluently refusing to comment on the BCCI-ICC stand-off, embracing the arrival of Essex's new signing and the man he had a midday eyeballing with in Zimbabwe, Andy Flower, and dishing out compliments to England's bowlers. Andy Flintoff was "bowling quick, and especially in the first dig, really wanging it though at a good pace", Craig White was "bowling quicker in this game, bowling really well".

Foster was even complimentary about Sanjay Banjar, named today in India's 14 for Mohali, saying that England had been very impressed by him. "He bowled very well, he reversed it both ways, and bowled a fantastic line. He looked like he knew what he was doing with the ball.You've got to respect a man like that."

Tanya Aldred, our assistant editor, is covering the whole tour for Wisden.com.

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