Losing toss dented India's chances, says Jadeja

Rajkot pitch is suitable for batsmen on first two days and then spinners come into play

Losing the toss at Rajkot dented India's chances more than three England batsmen hitting centuries in the first innings, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said.
After winning the toss and asking the hosts to bowl on a docile pitch, England capitalised on some slack fielding to amass 537 runs, effectively batting India out of the first match of the five-test series.
Joe Root scored a hundred on Wednesday while Moeen Ali and Stokes matched the feat a day later to mark the first time in 55 years that England had three batsmen score centuries in the same innings at an Asian venue.
Geoff Pullar, Ken Barrington and Ted Dexter all scored hundreds in the second innings of a test against India at Kanpur in December 1961.
"I think toss took the game away from us," local boy Jadeja told reporters after the second day's play.
"We all know how the Rajkot pitch is. First two days, it is suitable for batsmen and then spinners come into play."
Alastair Cook's men arrived in India after an uninspiring tour of Bangladesh where they drew a two-match series 1-1 and suffered their first loss against the Asian side in the longest format of the game.
The defeat in the second test in Dhaka came inside three days after England lost 10 wickets in a session against the world's ninth-ranked test team.
Jadeja said England's massive total was not because India bowled badly.
"I think the main thing is that the surface was pretty different from Bangladesh," he said. "There the ball was turning sharp. Here only the odd ball is turning."
India openers Gautam Gambhir and Murali Vijay safely negotiated the 23 overs they faced to take the hosts to 63 without loss at stumps but still trail England by 474 runs.
Left-arm spinner Jadeja was the most successful bowler for the hosts with three wickets and said there was no special instruction for the batsmen on how to go about their innings.
"We have to score whatever runs are on the board," the 27-year-old Jadeja said. "Tomorrow is crucial, we need to play good, positive cricket.
"We need to play according to the merit of the ball and not plan too much."
 
Reuters