It was a mind game that worked. India captain Virat Kohli revealed the crucial dismissal of Alastair Cook late on day four came after a suggestion from Cheteshwar Pujara.
Kohli said after the match, "Pujara said we could probably try a different field, have two more on the leg-side and put a bit of doubt in his head, and it worked. He tried to play in front of his pad, not close to the body and was out leg-before. I mean these little margins can give you the game."
The Indian captain felt winning the toss and putting up a big first innings score set the game up for his side. "After that it gets difficult for the batting side. The pitch was difficult to bat on today."
On England, Kohli said, "We do not take them for granted. We understand that they have quality players. We know they came back from a Test down the last time they were here but we are not looking at the past."
KOHLI: 'IT'S GREAT TO HAVE SHAMI AND UMESH BOWL FAST'
Kohli said India would continue playing five bowlers and added fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav had contributed immensely with their timely breakthroughs. "Shami is a gifted, skilled bowler who has got fitter. It’s great to have Shami and Umesh bowl fast in short bursts."
Kohli said captaincy was not affecting his batting. "It's a difficult thing to detach yourself from being captain when you go out there to bat especially when you are playing five batters. But it also makes me not hit the ball in the air which I probably prefer in Test cricket."
He added, "Instinctive players obviously get runs when they spend time on the wicket. I think I am one of them."
COOK: 'WE'RE VERY MUCH THERE IN THE SERIES'
England captain Cook said, "I think the toss played an important part. The first day was the best day to bat. It progressively became harder to score and today the pitch was tough to bat on."
Despite the defeat, Cook was confident. "It’s a disappointing loss but if we can get ahead in the game we can put India under pressure. We are still very much there in the series."
India, Cook said, had some good bowlers. The England captain, however added, "But they are not Supermen by any stretch of imagination."
Asked about Stuart Broad’s availability for the Mohali Test following a foot injury, Cook said, "It all depends on how the injury settles."
Cook said leg-spinner Adil Rashid and paceman James Anderson, who returned from fitness concerns, were positives from the game for England. He admitted the attacking Jos Buttler could replace the out-of-form Ben Duckett in the third Test.
The England captain said left-arm spinning all-rounder Zafar Ansari battled nausea and back spasm during the match. "When it rains, it pours," Cook said about England’s travails in the second Test.
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