Is Virat Kohli right to blame toss for Wellington defeat?
Toss was never a factor for India throughout their record-breaking home run in Tests. Lofty, but that is how dominant India have been at home. However, on travelling abroad, especially in the SENA nations, toss plays a crucial factor. And Indian skipper Virat Kohli wasn't hesitant enough to mention that losing the toss on the first morning of the opening Test played a 'big impact' in India's 10-wicket defeat at the Basin Reserve in Wellington against New Zealand. However, he did focus on the lack of contribution from the batting and the bowling department while praising Mayank Agarwal and Ajinkya Rahane in the post-match presentation interview with former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull.
"Day one it was probably the toss that turned out to be very important," Kohli said after India heaviest defeat in terms of wicket under his captaincy.
Kohli has now led India in 54 Tests and won the toss on 25 occasions and the team has lost none of those matches - 21 wins and 4 draws. Of the remaining 29 matches where Kohli lost the toss, India won just 12 matches, losing 11 and rest six ended in a draw.
Kohli led India in 26 Tests at home, winning the toss 15 times and the hosts remained unbeaten in all those matches winning 13 and two ended in a draw. Of the 11 times he lost the toss at home, India suffered just one defeat (in Pune against Australia in 2017) and won seven times.
In the 15 times Kohli has led India in SENA nations, he won the toss four times and the visitors won three - against South Africa in Johannesburg and against Australia in Melbourne and Adelaide - and drew once (in Sydney, 2018). Of the 11 times, he lost the toss, India managed just one win (against England in Nottingham in 2018) and drew once (in Sydney, 2015).
In New Zealand, toss plays a different role altogether as team's batting second have found more success in this part of the world, a trend contrary to what Test sides generally opt for. Numbers have always favoured team batting first in a Test match since the beginning of 2016 - 109 wins and 55 defeats of 188 matches. However, in New Zealand, team batting second have won more matches than in any other nation - 11 wins and 5 draws of 19 matches, during the same period.
With India losing the toss on the first morning and put to bat first, Kohli'men had to defy history win in Wellington. In fact, the last time New Zealand lost a home game despite winning the toss was in 2009.
So Kohli does have a point about toss having an impact in their defeat in Wellington. But was it 'big'?
