Press excuse England's loss in historic Test

The British press on Tuesday broadly excused England's defeat by India in the first Test in Chennai, saying the importance of their presence far outweighed concerns about their performance.

India won a thrilling match by six wickets on Monday after batting star Sachin Tendulkar scored the 41st Test century of his illustrious career.

In Tuesday's editions, newspapers here praised Tendulkar's "sensational" and "utterly brilliant" play, and noted the historic impact of his achievement so soon after the attacks in his home city of Mumbai that left 172 people dead.

LONDON, Tuesday (AFP)