We wanted to bat first: Virat

In fact, it was a good toss for Kohli to lose, though the India captain admitted at the toss he too would have batted first. “We wanted to bat first. The surface looks really hard. Good grass cover. Good cricket wicket. Important to not worry in the first hour and be fresh, and to just go out there and express ourselves,” he commented before the match.

That was exactly he did. “Putting runs on the board on any wicket is important. We could have spoken before and not come for the toss at all. The grass cover is a big reason for Jasprit Bumrah (who replaced Kuldeep) to come in. He bowls good areas, and the seamer-heavy attack is a very balanced one going into this game,” he said. 

“We have to win this Test match to still stand a chance of winning, and as Joe (Root) said, it’s important to not look too far ahead. So we’re just looking to go out there and put our best foot forward,” the India captain added.

England captain Joe Root said the covering of live grass and the fat that his bowlers had done well with the ball made him insert India in. “I believe in a balanced attack, and Adil (Rashid) is important. He’s been crucial for us during the phases he has bowled for us. Yeah, it’s dangerous to look too far ahead, and we have to play five days of solid cricket and continue the kind of performances we have put in over the last few weeks,” he said. 

The Indian cricketers today wore black arm bands on the first day of the third Test against England here as a mark of respect to former captain Ajit Wadekar, who passed away on August 15.