Peter Moores reflects on England's progress
By Callum Dent
Head Coach Peter Moores believes England rediscovering their killer instinct was the main reason why they emerged from the Investec Test Series victorious.
During the first two games of the five-match rubber, in which they slipped 1-0 behind following the loss at Lord's, the hosts struggled to hammer home their advantage when occupying strong positions.
But ever since, at the Ageas Bowl, Emirates Old Trafford and the Kia Oval, England's ruthlessness has shone through, including yesterday when they dismissed the tourists for just 94 in their second innings.
Former Sussex and Lancashire coach Moores, in his second spell with the national side, told ecb.co.uk: "At the start of the summer we were frustrated because we actually played some good cricket.
"Some players were playing well; we saw Gary Ballance and Joe Root play some great innings.
"But we weren't turning that into match-winning moments or match-winning games. We were throwing away chances.
"What we have seen in the second half is the lads have managed to keep the pressure on for longer and we have driven that home, resulting in a series win.
"We have kept the pressure on India for so long and shown really good discipline with both bat and ball."
England now hang up the whites for seven months as they turn their attentions to the limited-overs format and the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand early next year.
But Moores believes the success over the last month will stand them in good stead when they return to red-ball cricket in a busy 2015, which includes the Ashes.
He added: "We have got a big seven-month gap. We have got a bit of a template now of a team emerging. That is somewhere to start.
"We have obviously got key series against West Indies and New Zealand and then the Ashes.
"We put Test cricket away for a little while to concentrate on one-day cricket, but we go back to it with some plans and performances that we can pick up straight away."
Meanwhile, India have been punished for a slow over-rate during the fifth Test.
The International Cricket Council has fined the tourists on account of them being three overs short of their target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.
The rules stipulate that players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over they are behind, with the captain taking a double punishment. As such, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni loses 60 per cent of his fee with the other 10 players losing 30 per cent.
Dhoni will be suspended for one match should his side commit another over-rate offence in the next 12 months. India accepted the ruling without appeal.