The future looks bright for my new-look team, insists Vaughan

Michael Vaughan last night insisted England can take heart from a satisfactory summer, despite slipping to their first home Test series defeat for six years. After a damage limitation exercise at The Oval in the third npower Test saw the hosts force a draw and restrict India to a 1-0 series win, the skipper emphasised that his new-look team had emerged with credit.

While the visiting captain, Rahul Dravid, was savouring his country's first series win on these shores since 1986, and only their third in history, Vaughan had to make do with moral triumphs.

Resuming on 56 without loss, chasing an unlikely target of 500, England bravely kept the tourists' attack at bay. Kevin Pietersen ignored aggressive eyeball-to-eyeball provocation from Anil Kumble to score a century - his 10th in Tests - which proved decisive as the hosts made 369 for six.

Assessing the season as a whole, with a thrashing of the West Indies followed by this setback, Vaughan said: "We feel we have played some good cricket this summer. We won 3-0 against the West Indies and if the weather hadn't intervened it could have been 4-0.

"In the first match against India at Lord's, we played well and the weather intervened, then we lost at Trent Bridge and fought hard for a draw here.

"It's difficult to say we've had a good summer when we've just lost a series, but the team is evolving again because there are so many new faces.

"You have to give the new guys this sort of experience in the hope they learn from it."

Kumble lost his cool when he tried to barge past Pietersen to field the ball off his own bowling, prompting a collision as the England batsman quite reasonably stood his ground.

For a few seconds there was the danger of another confrontation like the ones which marred the previous match in Nottingham, but Dravid intervened and his spinner cooled down.

Afterwards, both sides were keen to play the matter down. Pietersen said: "He is a fierce competitor, India were trying as hard as they could to win and he was fighting for his country. We just bumped. I was just watching the ball and got in his way. It was nothing serious."

Dravid added: "Anil can get quite worked up in the field. He was trying very hard to help win a Test match for his country.

"He gives his all and on occasions his enthusiasm can get the better of him. But it just shows the effort he is putting in and it was nothing serious."

Although Vaughan was disappointed to lose the series, he was pleased with the spirit his players showed yesterday to scrap for a draw. "Most people were expecting England to lie down here and India would then win the series 2-0," he said.

"But people have seen that the England team are prepared to fight. We are going through a bit of a transitional period because there are a lot of new players, so it is important that we come through these obstacles, to see if we can show character and fight. We have done that."

The captain admitted the return of various senior players would present interesting selection issues ahead of the Sri Lanka Test tour in November, but the lack of a big batting platform was the major concern.

"In the first innings, we haven't managed to get past 400 in any of the matches, and you have to do that to put good teams under pressure," said Vaughan. "You need 400-450 in the first innings, so that is one area we need to work on."

England's man of the series James Anderson said: "Obviously the result is disappointing but luckily the ball came out well for me the whole series.

"I've got to keep working hard at my game - I'm just looking to get consistent performances and cut out the four balls. There are about three or four bowlers out at the minute who are looking forward to getting back in the side, so it's really healthy."

Dravid was overjoyed to guide his side to a memorable success. "I feel very proud to have achieved what we have achieved,' he said. 'It is a fair result. England dominated the first Test but we have dominated the last two.

"To come away and beat England at their home grounds, where they have been so strong for six or seven years, is a fantastic achievement."

Man of the match Kumble, who scored an unbeaten first Test ton in India's mammoth first innings total of 664, said: "It's a special moment, winning a series here after 21 years.

"This is definitely my last Test in England, so it's wonderful to go back home victorious. I have really fond memories of Test and county cricket in England, so it's good to go back with a victory."

India's man of the series, pace bowler Zaheer Khan, said: "I was very nervous on the first day of the series. There was pressure on me; people were saying I was going to play a crucial part in the series. I'm feeling very proud.

"Our fast bowling has been doing well in the last couple of years; it's really picking up, which is really good for Indian cricket."