New Delhi: After England three quick wickets on day two of the First Test against India at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, former captain Geoffrey Boycott has raised questions over their ability to play spin in the sub-continent conditions.

England who started their first innings trailing by 521 lost three opener Nick Compton, night watchman Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott in quick succession to leave England in a spot of bother.

"We haven't really proved in our mind or in our technique that we can play spin. You can practise as much as you want, at as many bowlers as you want, in the nets, but when you're out in the middle in a Test match there are four guys round the bat and you're on nought - it's a totally different game," Boycott was quoted as saying by 'BBC Sport'.

"Part of it's in the head. Everything looks alright and suddenly we're three down. We've had 18 overs of England batting and we're talking about the follow-on, which tells us everything. It's not looking good," he said. 

"KP is a super player, Trott and Cook will graft and they've got big hearts. But I'm looking at three decent players and three big question marks.”

"Compton was bowled between bat and pad. Samit Patel has played well against spinners in the warm-ups but has he done it in a Test match?Then there's Ian Bell. He was all at sea against the Pakistanis (in the UAE earlier this year), and when he goes home there's Eoin Morgan, the left-hander who didn't do too well in the UAE," he added.

England will start the day at the overnight score of 43-3 with Alistair Cook and Kevin Pietersen and the first challenge for them is to avoid the follow-on.

"We've got two kids from Yorkshire (Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root) - they've never been on tour and never seen it turn like this. That doesn't fill me with confidence when you're facing 520," said the former opener.

By Indian Sports News Network