Despite losing the series, Captain Ben Stokes expressed his pride in the team's efforts during the India vs England matches

Despite a five-wicket loss in the fourth Test that sealed a series defeat in India, England captain Ben Stokes said he was proud of his team.

Despite winning the first Test and having opportunities to win the other three, the tourists are currently 3-1 down.

India has stretched their 12-year unbeaten home record while inflicting Stokes' first series defeat as captain.

Stokes said:

"The 3-1 score doesn't look great, but the way in which we've come at India is what I'm most proud of."

India, needing 192 to win, faced a strong England fightback on the fourth day in Ranchi.

Despite being 100-3 and 120-5, India managed to secure their 17th consecutive home series win with an unbroken partnership of 72 runs between Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel.

Despite having the better of the first two days of the fourth Test, England was beaten.

India fought back from 177-7 in their first innings, aided by Ollie Robinson's crucial drop of Jurel, who made 90.

With a first-innings lead of 46, England was bowled out for just 155 in their second innings, undone by the high-quality spin of India's Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja.

Stokes noted that cricket is always a battle of skill against skill. The conditions we faced against Ashwin, Jadeja, and Kuldeep were extremely challenging.

Despite having a modest target to defend, England had a chance to achieve a remarkable victory when Shoaib Bashir took two wickets in consecutive balls after lunch on Monday. However, Gill and Jurel's match-winning partnership prevented England from winning.

In his second Test, 20-year-old off-spinner Bashir took five wickets in the first innings and suggested he could bowl England to victory in the second.

Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley is the leading wicket-taker for both sides with 20 victims, also playing in his first Test series.

There is now more than a week's gap before the fifth and final Test begins in Dharamsala on 7 March.