Pietersen looks at bigger picture

Khsemal Waingankar celebrates after sending Luke Wright back for one

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Captain Kevin Pietersen shrugged off the impact of England's defeat after they slumped to a 124-run defeat against a Mumbai President's XI in their final warm-up match.

England were dismissed by a team of club professionals for just 98 in reply to Mumbai’s 222 for seven, ahead of the seven-match one-day international series which starts in Rajkot on Friday.

It followed a similarly poor batting display in the Stanford Super Series showdown in Antigua, when they were dismissed for 99, and prompted the squad to go through an unscheduled net session after the match finished.

However, Pietersen insisted nothing should be read into England's display, claiming: "I think the guys are all right, we just need to turn our heads on now and make sure we start on Friday.

"Today and what happened the other day doesn't really count in the grand scheme of things. What counts is the internationals.

"This really doesn't matter, but it has taught us a few quick lessons."

Today's display was in stark contrast to England's 122-run victory over a Mumbai Cricket Association side and perhaps highlights the scale of the task ahead of them as they attempt to win their first one-day series in India since 1983-4.

Pietersen remains confident his side will improve when the stakes are higher.

He added: "The opposition wasn't spectacular the other day and it was better today so we've just got to turn our games on and get our heads right.

"It's competitive cricket and there is a need to respect opposition and make sure we go and do the business.

"It's a warm-up game and you can't get as switched on as you do for an international.

"But there are no dramas. If we did this in the internationals three or four games in a row then there is a drama, but this is not it.

"The boys had a long journey to India and we've settled in nicely now so it's just a case of getting our heads on.

“I'm not sure if we were fully focused but this is a really good lesson, I don't see this is a bad thing at all.

"It's just a case of learning from today and at the end of the tour no one really remembers what happened today or the other day, what counts is what happens on Friday."