India ended 89 ahead on 7-294, leaving England to rue an uneven attack which had been thinned out to make room for an extra batsman and featured out-of-sorts spinner Bess.

His form on his return to the side left England even more vulnerable, as he was trusted with just 15 overs and finished wicketless at a cost of 56.

His figures could have been worse given the lack of control he was able to exert, but the 23-year-old received a sympathetic hearing from Harmison, who questioned his treatment on the tour.

After taking 17 wickets at 22 each in the first three Tests of the winter, Bess was dropped for Moeen Ali, who was then asked to delay a planned rest period and remain with the squad.

Had he agreed, Bess would probably not have taken the field in Ahmedabad.

"Dom Bess was chucked under the bus by the whole hullabaloo with Moeen Ali," Harmison told TalkSport.

"The minute they asked Moeen Ali to stay was the minute Bess was going under that bus. That, for me, was a downward spiral for a young kid who has played very few Test matches.

"He sat and watched for the last two or three weeks and all he can think about is Moeen Ali staying, 'everybody's wanting Moeen Ali'.

"That's culminated in the day's cricket that we've got today. I feel so sorry for the kid, I really do. I have so much sympathy with him, I've been in that place and I know where he's at.

"The selection hasn't helped him either. Not having an extra bowler has magnified it. That will put him under even more mental pressure.

"He'll feel even worse for not performing. It's such a dark and lonely place when you're out there. I hate to bring it up to magnify it, but that dressing room will be on egg shells about how to treat Dom Bess."

England spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel admitted things had not gone to plan on Bess's return.

"He would have liked to bowl a lot better today and to have given a lot more to the group. It didn't work out for him," he said.

Australian Associated Press