England [Images] will donate half of their match fees from the first Test against India starting on Thursday to the victims of last month's attacks in Mumbai, batsman Alastair Cook [Images] said on Tuesday.

Reading out a team statement, Cook said the past week had been very difficult for the team and that their return to India was a "public statement in support for the Indian people following the tragic event in Mumbai."

The militant attacks in India's financial capital killed at least 171 people, prompting England to cut short their one-day series and return home.

"As a cricketer, first and foremost, (we are here) to win a test match series in India. The England players will pay half their match fees from the first test match to the families of the victims of the Mumbai attacks," he said.

England arrived in India on Monday after security experts were satisfied of the measures put in place for the two test matches which were switched to Chennai from Ahmedabad [Images] and to Mohali (Dec. 19-23) from Mumbai.