Alastair Cook
Cook will consider his future as England skipper in the coming days. Getty Images

India needed just 48 balls to inflicted upon England a heavy defeat to clinch victory in the fourth Test and take the series with a match to spare in Mumbai. The tourists offered a weak resistance in the morning and were bowled out for 195 as they slumped to defeat by an innings and 36 runs as their hopes of drawing the five-match series were ended in emphatic fashion.

Starting the day 49 runs in arrears England knew they had to show resilience to keep the match alive but they merely crumbled under the pressure. Ravichandran Ashwin was the tormentor in chief with all four scalps on day five and finished the match with 12 wickets, including his 24th five-wicket haul, to lead the hosts to a fifth straight series win.

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Jonny Bairstow [51] added just one to his overnight total before being trapped lbw by Ashwin while Chris Woakes followed in his next over for a duck. Adi Rashid [2] then holed out to Lokesh Rahul before James Anderson [2] completed the woeful response by flicking the ball to Umesh Yadav to spark celebrations at the Wankhede Stadium.

While victory for India sees them extend their unbeaten home run to 18 matches, the misery for England is perpetuated by the future of their captain Alastair Cook, who has been criticised during this series. The opener admits he will consider his future at the helm ahead of the fifth Test in Chennai starting on Friday [16 December].

Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin claimed his 25th five-wicket haul to swat away England. Reuters

"Yes, of course you have questions," said Cook, according to The Independent. "Naturally you look at stuff. I will sit down with Straussy [director of cricket Andrew Strauss] at the end of the year like we have made the pact to do to talk honestly and openly about stuff. Being captain of England is a huge honour, a huge privilege. You are at the forefront of the team and it comes onto your shoulders when you win or lose. In the heat of the battle you make those decisions.

"You go to bed at night and you have to live with making good or bad decisions. As a bloke to be asked to lead your country is a huge honour personally. I am very proud to do it and we will got to Chennai as a group of players and it will be tough with momentum against us but if we can just grab every opportunity we have got a chance."