ENGLAND captain Joe Root has promised to learn the lessons from his side's thumping series defeat in India.

A home win had always been the likeliest result for a side who have not lost as hosts since Root's debut tour nine years ago, but the individual margins told a more eye-watering tale than the overall 3-1 scoreline.

After starting in Chennai with a big win of their own, England have been put away by 317 runs, 10 wickets and - in this week's fourth Test - an innings and 25 runs.

Root scored a fine double century in his first knock of the trip but the whole team have passed 200 only once in the seven subsequent attempts and, of the 10 scheduled days in Ahmedabad (for the third and fourth Tests), they hung in for less than five.

While Somerset spin bowler Jack Leach has impressed, with 2-89 in the fourth Test taking him to 18 wickets in four matches (at an average of 28.72), his fellow spinner Dom Bess looked shorn of confidence after being dropped for Moeen Ali - who only played one match before being rested ahead of the upcoming white-ball matches against India.

That is in stark contrast to India's elite spin options of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, who have dominated England to the tune of 59 wickets at an average of 12.83.

Turning pitches are one thing, but England have simply not been good enough with the bat (succumbing for 205 and 135 in the fourth Test) or the ball.

Leach laid his claim to be his country's first choice spin bowler for the 2021 season, but England will want more top quality spinners coming off the production line for the years ahead.

For that to happen, young spinners need to have sufficient opportunities in county cricket, and young batsmen need the experience of playing on spin-friendly pitches.

Not that there will be many of those around, if clubs are deterred by the 24-point penalty handed out to Somerset for the pitches prepared for games against Lancashire in 2018 ("demonstrated excessive turn") and Essex in 2019 ("excessive unevenness of bounce").

Will English cricket's suspicious view of spin-friendly conditions ever change?

Perhaps, if Root's admission that his team were "outskilled" is taken seriously by the powers that be.

"I think the guys have to embrace what's happened. They have to understand it and be realistic," Root said.

"We would be stupid to come away from this trip and say 'oh, it's India - extreme conditions, the ball was spinning and skidding on, it was impossible to bat'.

"That would be the wrong attitude. We need to come away from here and say 'you know what, there are lots of things that we can get better at'.

"Yes, India have world-class spinners and high performers, at home in particular, but we can be better.

"What can we take away from this trip? "I'm going to go away and make sure that if I find myself in this situation again down the line, on the next tour - I will be better equipped to deal with that.

"India, again, outskilled us."

Eoin Morgan takes charge of the England white-ball squad which is contesting five T20 matches (March 12-20, all in Ahmedabad) and three One-Day games (March 23-28, all in Pune).