Australia vs India, 4th Test Day 1: Five Talking Points

#5 Good toss to win for Team India

A very important toss

As mentioned in the introduction itself, the toss played a vital role in India's current position of authority in the game. Ahead of the match, pitch curators had spoken of how the surface was expected to help the turning ball in the later stages of the game, which indirectly means how spinners could possibly rule the roost on Days 3, 4 and 5. That had, in turn, forced Virat Kohli to sacrifice Umesh Yadav from his pace-bowling troika, so as to allow the inclusion of an additional spin-bowling resource in Kuldeep Yadav, into the starting eleven.

For that plan to work the best, it was necessary that India bat first and maybe post a good total, somewhere around the 450s just like at Melbourne. With everyone having done their part in planning, all eyes were now on the toss, which luckily, Kohli won - immediately opting to bat first, laying out the final move for the elaborate plan.

If the reader would have observed, Australian skipper Tim Paine had also agreed to Kohli's decision. "We would also have batted first, the grass cover makes it a batsmen-friendly wicket at first," were his exact words. Turns out that both captains were true in their instincts. India not only batted well, but they also managed to hold on to a majority of wickets as play now advances to Day 2 in a few hours. At 303/4, it is safe to say that India has the upper hand right now, thanks to the good toss they won.