ENGLAND were beaten by 10 wickets inside four days after another batting collapse in the first Test in Mohali.

As with the first innings, the spin duo of Anil Kumble, who took five wickets in an innings for the 17th time in Tests, and Harbhajan Singh got to work once Tinu Yohannan had made some early inroads.

It left India needing just five runs to secure victory - they took just two balls to get them - after England lost their last seven wickets for 76 to be dismissed for 235.

Seven wickets had toppled for just 38 on the first afternoon to leave Nasser Hussain's tourists struggling to stay competitive.

Graham Thorpe, who watched as others fell around him, made a 121-ball 62, his first half-century in first-class cricket since his 138 against Pakistan six months ago.

But he eventually succumbed to Kumble, providing a return catch attempting to drive, to be ninth out.

Richard Dawson managed to hoist England into credit with a succession of scampered twos but the respite did not last long as Kumble completed his haul of six for 81 by clipping the top of his middle stump.

All hope of extending proceedings into tomorrow had rested heavily on the shoulders of Thorpe, the batting hero of last winter's subcontinent successes, and Mark Ramprakash when play resumed after lunch.

But Ramprakash, the only England centurion on this tour, went for 28 following a 72-run stand for the fourth-wicket, trapped on the crease by a slider from Kumble.

Andrew Flintoff followed two balls later, after hitting a boundary through midwicket, his lunge to the leg-spinner resulted in a catch for Saurav Ganguly at silly point.

Meanwhile, Thorpe, who nudged and swept his way into to a well-compiled 50, suffered two scares off Harbhajan Singh.

First, Connor Williams got his fingertips to the ball when a combination of pad and glove ballooned it over short-leg.

Then, Harbhajan found the edge of a defensive push but Rahul Dravid failed to hold on with his left hand at slip.

Craig White showed attacking purpose in his 22 before edging Harbhajan to Deep Dasgupta, James Foster mimicked his first-innings dismissal, once again out leg before sweeping Harbhajan while James Ormond was bowled by Kumble off his pads first ball.

Earlier on a bright morning, England lost Mark Butcher, Marcus Trescothick and captain Nasser Hussain.

Butcher fell in the ninth over attempting to pull Tinu Yohannan but only succeeding in spooning a catch to substitute Jacob Martin at midwicket.

His recklessness belied his patience in taking 30 balls to advance from 11.

Having resumed on 34 without loss after a testing 20-over spell yesterday evening, the latter handful under floodlights, Trescothick continued as the more dominant of the opening duo.

Forcing Yohannan for numerous boundaries off the back foot in the opening overs, twice forcing through cover and slashing two further fours past another substitute, Connor Williams at fine gully, he looked set for a second half-century of the match at the PCA Stadium.

While Butcher negated the considerable threat of Harbhajan, Trescothick - who resumed today on 16 - tucked into anything loose.

When Trescothick finally got to face the off-spinner, however, he immediately showed his positive intent, sweeping England's first-innings destroyer for four and then forcing Shiv Sunder Das - fielding at short leg - off the field after a repeat of the stroke hit him below the shoulder blade.

But his adventure cost him his wicket as a spectacular catch from Iqbal Siddiqui at fine leg saw him dismissed for 46.

Helping a short ball on its way, Trescothick stood his ground as Siddiqui came up with the ball in his right hand as he sprawled himself over the turf.

Umpires Steve Bucknor and Srinivas Venkatraghvan awaited television confirmation that the catch was indeed clean before upholding the dismissal.

Then, Hussain, top scorer with 85 in the first innings, chopped into his stumps attempting to cut Kumble's googly as England slipped from 68 without loss to 87 for three.