Cook falls early in Mohali

England again lost captain Alastair Cook early in an uncertain start to today's must-win one-day international against India at the Punjabi CA Stadium.

Cook and his opening partner Craig Kieswetter both made ducks in Monday's demoralising defeat in Delhi.

This time, after choosing to bat first on a green-tinged and apparently two-paced surface, only the captain went to the new ball in a 15-over total of 76 for two.

Both Praveen and R Vinay Kumar found movement in the air and off the pitch, and it was the latter that did for Cook.

He pushed forward to a ball from Vinay which was slanted across him but was unable to cover the nip back into his front pad and went lbw for three.

Kieswetter was therefore joined by Jonathan Trott in a watchful stand which contained just a smattering of shots in anger during the initial powerplay.

Kieswetter got away with a mis-hook at Vinay which evaded long-leg and brought him a boundary, took advantage of a reprieve on 15 - Praveen dropped a sharp return chance - by clubbing a trademark big hit high over midwicket next ball, and then counted a second six at the other end via a thick outside edge over vacant third man.

Trott had played out a maiden to Vinay, but advanced in the same bowler's next over to time a boundary sweetly past mid-off.

But with the 50 partnership in sight, Kieswetter made a mis-judgment against Virat Kohli's gentle inswing and toe-ended a yorker on to his leg-stump.