London, Dec. 16 : Most dailies in England have reacted with shock to their cricket team's defeat against India in the first Test at Chennai, and have particularly targeted left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for failing to come up with a credible performance.

In the Independent, former England fast bowler Angus Fraser says: " The bowling of Monty Panesar, who once again failed to make any impact in the fourth innings of a Test, was poor and it did not help Pietersen at all. Panesar showed little nous as he bowled at the same speed over after over. Spin bowlers have to adapt to the pitch they are playing on and Panesar again did not. He should have been England''s match-winner but Swann out-bowled him on his debut."

The Guardian, in its report, said: "The spinners threatened only sporadically. This was Panesar''s 34th Test, yet there was no suggestion that he was regarded as the senior spinner. Panesar is a mechanical bowler and he needs all the cogs properly oiled. He is not good at reacting to situations. Here (in Chennai), his length was too variable, often it was too full and he was not capable of adjusting his pace. In fact he has only one optimum pace for any pitch. We may have to accept that."

It further goes on to say: "This surface should have suited him as it was disintegrating but, Panesar seems to have an aversion to the subcontinent. Or it may just be to subcontinental batsmen. Once blunted, Panesar is easily exasperated. Moreover, he rarely offers any input to his field placements. Too often batsmen are permitted to push for singles rather than forced to play a risky shot. Tendulkar did not have to improvise against him and he did not spurn those easy singles. Panesar is England''s most gifted -spinner, by a margin - he has a superb natural action - but he is also the least guileful. And it is unlikely that a battalion of coaches can teach guile."

The Sun said: "Monty Panesar failed to make an impact on a surface that should have been perfect for him. The spinner did not take a wicket in 27 overs - Tendulkar, who scored 45 of his runs in singles, milked him dry." (ANI)