By Bryn Palmer

It is only 82 days since England reclaimed the Ashes and the country revelled in cricket's renaissance.

Vaughan has plenty to ponder

But as their first Test series defeat in two years was confirmed in Lahore, the wild celebrations and victory parades must have seemed a lifetime ago to Michael Vaughan and his men.

A 2-0 series defeat in Pakistan, England's first since succumbing to Sri Lanka in December 2003, is hardly cause for a public outcry.

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But given their confidence at the outset - Paul Collingwood had high hopes of a 3-0 victory - why has the warm glow of the Ashes summer dimmed so quickly?

The "gung-ho" style - to use Geoff Boycott's description - that worked against the equally attack-minded Australia has proved England's undoing in Pakistan.

On the slow pitches of the subcontinent, patience rather than panache is required and England have been found wanting.

Pietersen's bravado cost him at times

There have been some fine knocks - Marcus Trescothick's opening 193, second Test centuries from Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen, Collingwood's fighting 96 in the third.

But Pietersen holing out attempting another six upon reaching his ton was symptomatic of England's approach, and their failure to adapt to the conditions and the state of the match.

Chasing 198 for victory in a first Test they had hitherto dominated, four of England's top six were guilty of getting out to attacking shots when graft was required, and from then on it was always going to be an uphill battle.

England only had to make one change during the entire Ashes series, when Paul Collingwood replaced the injured Simon Jones for the final Test at the Oval.

In Pakistan they lost skipper Michael Vaughan for the first Test, and Andrew Strauss and Ashley Giles for the third, meaning changes to their batting order for each Test.

Collingwood found himself in, out and then back in again, after Ian Bell - due to be dropped before Vaughan's knee injury - rescued his spot with an innings of 71.

Strauss scored 44 runs in four innings, reducing his Test average from 50 to 46, and also dropped a crucial catch off Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq in the second Test.

Whether the impending birth of his first child days later was a factor in his performances is debatable, but the decision for Strauss to tour, and the disruption for the final Test, did neither him nor his team-mates any favours.

In the absence of Simon Jones, whose reverse swing did so much to unhinge the Aussies, England's attack was never going to hold the same threat.

But seamers Andrew Flintoff (13 wickets), Steve Harmison (12) and Matthew Hoggard (11) toiled manfully on unhelpful pitches, creating opportunities to win the first two Tests.

Giles' three wickets came at an average of 82

Success on the subcontinent usually requires a top-class spinner though, and England's slow bowlers contributed little.

Giles was not helped by a hip problem that forced him to miss the final Test, but he and grizzled veteran Shaun Udal managed just six wickets between them in the series.

Just as importantly, neither was able to provide the control required to tie up an end, meaning an even greater workload on the pace trio.

As anybody who witnessed the team's Ashes celebrations will testify, this England team enjoy each other's company and are not afraid to let their hair down when the chance arises.

With security considerations confining the squad to their hotels for most of the last month however, it appears a lack of activities away from cricket has proved a strain.

"Mentally it has been quite tough and it has got to the players a little bit," said coach Duncan Fletcher.

Then again, as Fletcher acknowledged, England knew the score before they set off.

If their planning for the Ashes was meticulous, Fletcher and Vaughan may feel they need to devote more time to keeping the players happy off the field in India.

And we don't just mean "Freddie" Flintoff's now legendary celebrations in London.

After the endless build-up, an epic Test series and the demands on the players in the weeks that followed, the Ashes summer was draining both mentally and physically.

Playing three long Test matches in quick succession on dead pitches in Pakistan appeared to take its toll.

At crucial points in the series, England were unable to raise their game and either get out of trouble or force victory as they have done during the past two years.

While the tactical lessons of this tour need to be digested, proper rest and recuperation will be equally important before England head to India on 25 February for more of the same.