Chennai, Feb 16 (UNI) After thrashing England by huge margin in the second Test, India skipper Virat Kohli said the toss wouldn't have made a difference to the result in the game.
India beat England by a massive margin of 317 runs inside four days on a Chepauk track that was aiding turn and bounce right from the opening day to level the four-match Test series 1-1.
India had won the toss and opted to bat first in the second Test. The hosts scored 329 in their first innings and 286 runs in the second essay. However, the surface for the second Test did come under criticism from certain quarters but Kohli pointed out the need to have both teams in the reckoning right from the start of a Test match.
"The toss wouldn't have mattered much in this game to be honest," Kohli said after India's win.
"Because if you looked at our second innings, we got 300 as well. It wasn't unfair if the toss went either way. Both teams should be in the game from the first session onwards, whether it is on spinning to seaming tracks, and that exactly was the case in this game," he added.
The Indian captain also reserved praise for the crowd in Chennai that turned up in huge numbers throughout the Test.
"It was a bit strange in the first game to be playing at home with empty stands. We were pretty flat on the first two days over there to be pretty honest, myself included, didn't pick up energy on the field,' Kohli said.
"The crowds make a big difference. This game was an example of the grit and determination this side shows and the crowd is a big part of that,' he added.
Kohli was also constantly seen egging the crowd on during the game and he admitted that their presence did make a difference.
'Chennai crowd are very intelligent, they understand their cricket really well. In a 15-20 minute period where the bowler needs the support of the crowd, it is my responsibility to involve everyone and bring in the crowd,' he said.
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