“India showed you can score runs on that pitch” - Joe Root gracefully accepts defeat in Chennai

While admitting that the pitch for the second Test in Chennai was a tricky one, England captain Joe Root gave credit to India for coming up with the goods on the surface.

A number of critics, including a few former England cricketers, termed the strip for the second India-England Test as ‘unfit’ for Test cricket. Asked for his views on the Chennai pitch at the post-match conference, Joe Root commented:

“I would say it was a challenging wicket. The toss was an important one to win. But it wouldn't have guaranteed a victory. The fact is that India showed you can score runs on it. They found a way of managing a very tricky surface.”

The 30-year-old - who had a rare poor Test with scores of 6 and 33 - added that a lot of players in the England team hadn’t experienced such conditions before. Joe Root stated:

“You’ve got to learn from that. We’ve got to take bits from it, add it to our own game and come back better. They (conditions) are very different to what a lot of our guys have experienced before. It might not be that another Day 2 pitch may spin as much as this one. But it may be Day 3,4, or 5, where it becomes a bit more challenging. Hopefully, guys will learn from it.”

✅ A five-wicket haul✅ A centuryFor his all-round brilliance, R Ashwin is adjudged Player of the Match.#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/jbZv6eSnOw

— ICC (@ICC) February 16, 2021

Ball bounced more than we had anticipated: Joe Root

While a glance at the second Test's pitch made it clear that it was going to turn viciously, Joe Root revealed that the team was a bit surprised with the bounce the surface offered. The England skipper conceded:

“(Ball) Probably bounced more than what we had anticipated. But, we need to take that forward, take it as a learning and make sure we are better for it the next time we experience such conditions.”

Joe Root was honest in admitting that England can learn a lot from the way India adapted to the surface. He stated:

“As I said after the last Test, it is very important to stay level. We have played some really good cricket over the recent past in challenging conditions. To be honest, we have been outplayed in all three departments (in the second Test). It is important that we learn, take it as an education, look at how they (India) have gone about it on a surface that spun a huge amount.”

Handshakes after a hard few days 🤝#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/qc0EjKZtCL

— ICC (@ICC) February 16, 2021

India hammered England by 317 runs on Tuesday to square the four-match series 1-1. The two sides will now face off in the third Test at Motera on 24th Februar