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Losing is becoming a habit for English cricket in recent times.
A series of defeats has seen England drop to fifth from a lofty second in the Test rankings.
Two years ago, England beat Australia in style to bring the Ashes home. Since then, almost everything they do is turning to dust.
There was so much optimism after the 2005 Ashes victory. The 'old enemy' was challenged and brought down to earth.
There was hope that a new order would emerge. Unfortunately, Australia are still nestling comfortably on the top of the world cricket ladder. Older players have exited but a new breed has found its feet quickly.
England still possesses the core side which beat Australia. But they have failed to capitalise.
The Sub-Continent nemesis struck again recently. England looked totally inept as they fell apart in the Test series in Sri Lanka.
Appalling fielding and poor batting contributed to a 1-0 loss. Catches were dropped at crucial junctures and the batting collapsed like a pack of cards when under pressure.
There can be no excuse for such a poor display. Many of the players had the luxury of touring Sri Lanka a few weeks before for the one-day series. England won that encounter through grit and determination.
Skipper Michael Vaughan admitted that his side lack the expertise to counter the Sri Lankans on their home territory. However, taking catches and batting sensibly does not require expertise.
If England had worked hard enough, the story would have been different. Three England players demonstrated that the conditions could be conquered with a bit of extra effort.
Ryan Sidebottom bowled his heart out throughout the tour. Unfortunately his fielders did not support him and invariably crucial catches were dropped off his bowling. It is indeed a shame that Sidebottom even showed the other and better England batsmen how to tackle the conditions with dogged batting displays.
Ian Bell continued his improvement as a Test batsman. He showed resilience and ability to stay at the wicket. But it is high time that he converts frequent fifties into telling hundreds.
Alastair Cook overcame a poor first Test to post strong performances in the remaining two. His century in the third Test was a tribute to his determination.
One of the biggest disappointments of the tour was the inability of Monty Panesar to produce the form which made him such a potent force in Tests. Monty struggled with his line and length and was harshly treated by the Sri Lankans.
England's selectors must not make Monty a scapegoat for the defeats. He is going through a lean spell after a year-long high. Monty will shake out of it soon enough because he is a fantastic bowler.
Kevin Pietersen went through the horrors on the tour. The experience will provide a learning curve for England's most prolific batsman.
Pietersen will emerge stronger. He does not like to be at the losing end and bowlers better beware in the future.
The return of Steve Harmison to the side was a small plus factor. Though, he did not come up with spectacular performances, he proved menacing in certain spells.
Sadly, James Anderson went back to his old ways and found himself in the cold after the first Test. Sanath Jayasuriya gave him something to remember with six fours in an over.
England's next assignment will be in New Zealand in March. This means the team will not get any competitive cricket before the tour as the English season gets under way only in April.
However, England may feel far more comfortable in New Zealand as the conditions are almost similar to those in England.
With the New Zealand team now down in the dumps, the Test series could provide the spark to ignite the spirit of the England team.
England must not forget the basics when they land in New Zealand. The catching has to improve. They must remember that they are a fairly good fielding side and reinforce that.
Vaughan is a positive leader who has brought liveliness in the team. He has made the usually stodgy side realise that cricket can be fun.
Sri Lanka is history now. England have it in them to win their spot in the cricket rankings. The answer lies in the basics.
