The English media has been united in its attack on their nation's cricketers following India's crushing ODI win in Rajkot on Friday.

Yuvraj Singh slammed a magnificent 138 to ease India to 158-run victory and leave the visiting press pack in a state of despair ahead of six more ODIs and two Test matches..

"If the 124-run loss to the Mumbai second string on Tuesday really was the wake-up call described by Kevin Pietersen then his sleepy side must have hit the snooze button by mistake. Alarm bells rang again in Rajkot, louder and longer in what was almost the heaviest defeat ever suffered by England in one-day cricket," said Richard Hobson in The Times.

Hobson's gloom was matched by David Hopps, his counterpart at The Guardian, who also took time out to praise Yuvraj's superb knock.

"First came the Stanford jolly that all went terribly wrong. Next an embarrassing defeat in a warm-up against a Mumbai 2nd XI. To complete the hat-trick, England were trounced by India in their opening one-day international by 158 runs, conceded their highest total in an ODI, and succumbed to surely the most astounding innings ever produced by a man with a bad back."

"Kevin Pietersen's winter is lurching towards crisis proportions after England were subjected to one of their biggest ever thrashings. Captain KP has watched in bemusement as his team have endured three different but demoralising defeats in less than two weeks. Their hammering yesterday - by 158 runs in the first one-day international - gave a huge warning that England will struggle against India over the next six weeks," said The Sun's John Etheridge.

Colin Bateman in The Daily Express was quick to point out that after the loss, England have it all to do on the rest of their tour.

"They (England) look like a team not fully prepared for what hit them yesterday - and losing in India can develop a nasty momentum all of its own," he wrote.

The second ODI between India and England is due to take place in Indore on Monday.