ITs not often that a side, which is 1-0 down in a series and has just drawn a test match, receives such favourable press as the England side has this week.

Their thoroughly commendable effort in Ahmedabad has been quite rightly lauded loudly and in turn it seems that the Indians have received some harsh criticism, especially their captain Sourav Ganguly.

The cricket correspondent of one of the London nationals has dubbed Ganguly Lord Snooty and that seems to capture the mood quite aptly.

I have never had any close personal dealings with him - I've never played against him - but if Andrew Flintoff finds him utterly disagreeable, as has been manifested by his bouncer and verbal barrages at the Indian left hander, then there must be something in it. For Flintoff is the most mild mannered and affable of men and not easily roused to anger or malice.

It was most instructive that Nasser Hussain threw Flintoff the new ball as the last test was burning its dying embers on a tedious last day, in order to rough up Ganguly with some short stuff. He is under intense pressure in his own country and his position is precarious to say the least, so it was gratifying to see Hussain use such a ploy, very much as the Australians would do, reasoning that if you can get at the captain you can get at the whole team.

That final day was an anti-climatic ending to an absorbing test and blame seems to have been attached to both parties for the ennui, which resulted - but I can find fault with neither. Hussain was justified in not declaring earlier because of the inexperience of his attack and Ganguly knew that his side were 1-0 up and any undue risks were not necessary.

What happened was that the pitch did not disintegrate as expected. Such a sage as former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar had warned people to find alternative arrangements for the last day, such was his conviction that the pitch would break up and produce an early result.

But as we all know this reading of pitches is a hazardous business - much twaddle is spoken and written on the subject and quite regularly people who should know better end up with egg on their faces.

It is said that the pitch at Bangalore will turn and bounce prodigiously but as we saw last winter in Pakistan and Sri Lanka this may actually play into England's hands because it will bring their spinners into the game as well. Whereas a flatter wicket requires more cunning and unorthodoxy - something Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble most definitely possess.

England have a chance in this final test. I feel that the Indians have been rocked somewhat by England's resilience and strength of character. They expected their green visitors to fold after their heavy defeat at Mohali in the first test but England have regrouped and adapted marvellously - far quicker than anyone could have imagined. But it does beg the question of why they had such little preparation and acclimatisation time before that first test.

But the subject of international cricketers spending large chunks of the year away from home and their families was brought into sharp focus by Graham Thorpe's sudden return home to tend a marriage, which is sailing choppy waters.

As it was, this gave Michael Vaughan another opportunity but yet again misfortune befell this most unlucky of cricketers. He clearly looked rusty in his first innings but that was no reason to be 'sawn off' by a poor umpiring decision - he then spent most of the rest of the test dealing with 'runs' of a slightly different variety as a stomach bug debilitated him, not so much as to deny him scoring a gritty 31 not out in England's second innings.

By the time you read this hopefully England will be in the driving seat in this last test - please Nasser, make sure you have won the toss! And our cricketers will have given us all something to cheer over this festive season. Happy Christmas!