India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday lost his fourth Test in succession as England won by 227 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series in Chennai.
Chasing 420 in the final innings, England bowled India out for 192 on Day 5 to become the first team to beat the hosts at the MA Chidambaram stadium since 1999. The loss also ended India’s 14-match unbeaten streak in home Tests and 8-match unbeaten streak at this venue.
This is also the first time Kohli has lost 4 matches in a row as skipper. His unfortunate run saw India lose the Tests in Wellington and Christchurch against New Zealand in February last year, then the defeat in the Pink-ball Test in Adelaide in December and now this game at the Chepauk.
This was also India’s fourth Test loss at home in the last 10 years. India had last lost a Test on home soil in February 2017 against Australia.
For 2nd time in a home series, India have lost the first Test under Virat Kohli’s captaincy and now need to bounce back in the series if they want to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship final later this year.
“I don’t think we put enough pressure on them with the ball in the first half. Collectively as a bowling unit, fast bowlers and Ash, were good in the first innings but we also needed to contain a few more runs and create pressure. But credit to England, they got stuck in and put up a big total on the board. Our body language and intensity was not up to the mark,” Kohli said after the match.
“Crucial toss but from that point we had to follow through and make the most of a very good wicket. We did that very well. To take 20 wickets in alien conditions is a brilliant job from the bowlers. Knew from the outset it was going to be a good wicket,” Root said after picking up the Player of the Match award.
England have now won 6 Tests away from home in succession with Root maintaining his unbeaten run as captain in Asia after 6 games.
