India vs. England: Kohli Points Out What Went Wrong In His Side's 227-Run Loss

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli pointed out that his bowlers did not "put enough pressure" on the opposition after India suffered a 227-run loss in the first Test against England in Chennai on Tuesday.

Chasing 420 in the final innings, Kohli-led Team India was bowled out for 192 in 58.1 overs. English skipper Joe Root was named the Player for the Match for scoring a double century in the first innings, his fifth in Test cricket. After winning the toss, England piled up 578 runs before bowling India out for 337 runs. Instead of enforcing a follow-on, Root decided to bat again as England added another 178 runs and set India a target of 420.

In the post-match presentation, Kohli admitted that they had not performed up to the mark collectively as a bowling unit, especially in the first innings, which allowed England to bat over two days.

"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 [Ashwin], were good in the first innings but 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 which made it easy for the batsmen to rotate the strike and get into the game. Just looked like not much was happening in it on the first two days. But credit to England, they got stuck in and put up a big total on the board," Kohli said after the Test ended at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.

It was Kohli's fourth consecutive loss as India's Test captain. Prior to that, the 32-year-old had won seven Tests in a row, which was a record among Indian Test skippers.

In the post-match interview, Kohli also mentioned that India's body language and intensity was also a problem in the first innings and insisted that the English side was far more professional and consistent throughout the first Test.

As England go 1-0 up in the four-match Test series, which is a part of the ongoing 2019-21 World Test Championship (WTC), Kohli has assured that his side will work on the areas that need improvement.

"One thing is for sure that 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. We have to start off with good body language and put pressure on the opposition. Understand fields, the pace of the pitch and what the bowlers are doing, all those kinds of things will be crucial. In the end, it is the mindset and we are trying to get that back. We know how to bounce back and will give our best effort in the next game," added Kohli.

The second Test between India and England will be played at the same venue from Feb. 13.