England middle order batsman Kevin Pietersen on Wednesday insisted that the visitors' superior display in winning the Ashes series last year was not in danger of being undermined after going down 1-0 in the three-Test series against India.
"I don't think so. Here we are missing four key players and still have done well against India," the swashbuckling batsman said.
England, who are missing skipper Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, fast bowler Simon Jones and spinner Ashley Giles, suffered a nine-wicket loss in the second Test at Mohali.
The visitors, who lost a Test series in Pakistan 2-0 late last year, have to win the third Test, starting in Mumbai on Saturday, to hold on to their second rank in the ICC Test championship table.
Pietersen gave credit to Anil Kumble for India's victory in Mohali and said that he would play the leg-spinner with a "positively defensive" approach without changing his basic aggressive batting style.
"Kumble is a great bowler as his 500 wickets show. I have to play him with a big forward stride and be more positively defensive in my approach," Pietersen said.
"I want to keep it as simple as I can, stick to the basics. Unfortunately instinct plays a big part in the way I play, but I am not going to change much."
Pietersen said India's leading wicket-taker played a bigger part in the hosts' nine-wicket win in the second Test though debutant Munaf Patel also bowled well, particularly on the final day.
"Munaf bowled really good spells. Any bowler who swings the ball at 140 kmph is going to be difficult to face. But the difference was Kumble and the pressure he kept constantly on the batsmen," the South Africa-born hard-hitting batsman said.
Pietersen, however rated Australian Shane Warne, world's leading wicket-taker with 659, above Kumble.
"Shane is a genius. He hardly serves up a loose ball even after bowling ten overs at a stretch while the others like Kumble might bowl one every fifth or sixth over. Shane is more consistent (in line and length)," the 25-year old said.
Pietersen was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent at an umpire's decision after he was ruled caught out at Mohali in the second innings.
The batsman said he did make a mistake and that he had escaped penalty for a similar offence in the first Test at Nagpur.
"You take the rough with the smooth. Every one makes mistakes. I have made mistakes," Pietersen said.
"I probably got my way somewhat in Nagpur and an LBW in the Ashes.
"(At Mohali) I was disappointed (after being given out caught off the forearm) by the situation my team was in than the decision," he explained.