India v England: unselfish approach of Alastair Cook, Steven Finn and Samit Patel is the key difference As India's opening pair coasted two runs, two fielders - Steven Finn and Samit Patel set off in pursuit of the ball. Patel, scurrying round from deep square leg, got there first and with a sliding stop, palmed the ball inside the rope. Finn, who had sprinted 50 yards from his position at mid-on, retrieved it and hurled it back to Matt Prior. Sehwag half way through a third run, was sent back by his immobile partner Gautam Gambhir. He didn't make it. Both batsmen were at fault, though Gambhir more so because he ambled the first two runs and was then guilty of ball watching rather than responding to his partner. It was an appalling waste of India's most prized wicket - Sehwag is the one Indian batsman who has a bit of X-factor - and prized the door ajar to their fragile middle-order. And it was a moment that told you all you needed to know about the attitudes of the two teams. Finn, a fast bowler, dashed to the ball purely on the off-chance that the closer fielder - Patel - needed help to save the boundary. And Gambhir, who has a deserved reputation as a poor runner between the wickets, just didn't seem interested in making something extra out of a decent shot. Perhaps because it wasn't his. He was quite happy half an hour later to hare off for a dicey single to get his own 50th run. Compare the above with a moment just before tea on Thursday. Nick Compton clipped the ball into space through midwicket. Alastair Cook, responding immediately to the call, ran up to the far end for one, returned briskly for two and, despite having already batted for three hours, dashed back to make it into three for his partner. It was the kind of unselfish, team-spirited commitment for which Cook is renowned and which encapsulates the side he now captains. The running between the wickets of England's new opening pair was positive, energetic and well judged, like England's cricket in general. That comes from the top. Guess who faced the first ball bowled yesterday? Cook. At 7.10am. Yes ten past seven! While everyone else blinked sleep from their eyes, he was out in the nets hitting balls fed by Graham Gooch. It was the same the day before. And in Mumbai. He is never knowingly underprepared. Funny how people like that are often rather successful isn't it? And guess who faced the last ball of the day? That's right Cook, repelling Zaheer Khan's last delivery before putting his bat away for the night. He has chained himself to the crease throughout this series with exceptional skill and commitment. And yet, among other things, he was also happy to stand at short leg to the England spinners in Mumbai which is definitely beyond the call of a captain's duty. But he would argue it was an honour not a chore. The Indian team, meanwhile, is riddled with selfishness and complacency. Quiet apart from their hapless running between the wickets, their fielding is ordinary - as exposed by Cook and Compton - and their focus is flawed. Much of their bowling appears directionless, as if they are unable to stick to a plan. They turn up in the morning looking listless and many appear to go through the motions. They don't seem hungry for group success, more anxious to protect their own individual brand. Test cricket is regarded as an occupational hazard. They put the youngest player - Chetashwar Pujara - at first slip. One of the senior men should take on the responsibility of this important job. None was prepared to. And the crucial chance of the day - Cook on 17 edging Zaheer - went low to first slip. Pujara dropped it. Every run Cook added afterwards was a needle into his conscience. Poor guy will feel like a pin cushion now. It could well affect his batting in India's second innings. It has certainly affected the outcome of this match. England will likely win it now. Not so much by skill as by attitude.