Chennai: The body language and intensity were not up to the mark, said a disappointed India skipper Virat Kohli. He pointed out the many errors his team committed in the massive 227-run loss to England. Virat Kohli said India lost to a ‘more professional and consistent’ England in the opening Test here. Chasing a daunting 420-run target, India folded for 192 in the second innings. Only Kohli (72) and Shubman Gill (50) managed to resist the England attack on a deteriorating pitch.
“Our body language and intensity was not up to the mark, second innings we were much better. We were better in the second half of the first innings with the bat,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
“We have to understand the things that we have done decently in this game and the things that we haven’t. As a side we are always looking to improve. England were far more professional and consistent throughout the Test match than we were,” Kohli added.
Kohli also felt that India did not put enough pressure on England and leaked too many runs. “Collectively as a bowling unit, fast bowlers and Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin), were good in the first innings. However, we also needed to contain a few more runs and create pressure. Having said that, it was a slow wicket and not helping the bowlers. It was easy for the batsmen to rotate strike and get into the game,” Kohli pointed out.
Kohli was asked if the fourth and fifth bowlers – Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar – were not up to the mark. He did not hide his disappointment. “That’s a fair assessment. You need your bowling unit to step up and create pressure on the opposition,” he said. “We didn’t achieve that in this game which is fine, so we have to buckle up,” he added.
Washington gave away 98 runs in the first innings without taking a wicket. He bowled only one over in the second. Nadeem conceded 167 runs for two wickets in the first innings. In the second he returned figures of two for 66.
“We did well in the second innings with the ball and put pressure on them. We are always learning as a side and evolving as a side,” said the captain.
Kohli said England were ready for the grind and ‘probably better equipped than us’.
“Toss) ended up being crucial, I didn’t think it would. We don’t want to take anything away from England with the way they played. No excuses. We are a side that accepts our failures and faults and learns from them. One thing is for sure. In the next three matches we are going to give a tough fight and not let things slip away like it did in this Test,” Kohli asserted.
