"Whatever decision we take, we take as a team" - When a star batter backed skipper Virat Kohli after India were all-out for 78 in a Test match

Virat Kohli's reign as Test captain was laden with highs, particularly away from home. However, Team India had one of their lowest days under his captaincy when they were shot out for a paltry 78 in the third Test against England at Headingley, Leeds in the 2021 tour.

Coming into the third Test after a historic win at Lord's, Team India were booming with confidence. However, instead of an encore, the visitors were issued an unwelcome reminder of a similar collapse they had endured in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36.

Virat Kohli copped a lot of blame from fans and pundits after opting to bat first. Local player and then-England skipper Joe Root had expressed his delight at the prospect of losing the toss.

The disastrous first innings saw India play out 40.2 overs, with only two batters recording double figures. To make matters worse, the conditions had subsided during England's time with the bat as they finished Day 1 on 120-0.

During the press conference after the day's play, Rishabh Pant remarked that the decision to bat first was a collective one, absolving Kohli to a degree after being on the receiving end of criticism.

"It's part and parcel of the game. Everyday the batting unit is giving hundred per cent but sometimes it doesn't go well. In the morning, the wicket was slightly on the softer side and they bowled in good areas. We could have applied ourselves better. We can learn from it and only move on. That's all we can do as cricketers. You learn from your mistakes and improve," Pant told reporters (via NDTV).

"Whatever decision we take, we take as a team. So once we have decided we are going to bat first, we are going to back our decision. Yes we could have applied much better but we can't keep on thinking too much about the toss," he added.

Virat Kohli was dismissed for seven by James Anderson, while Rishabh Pant scored only two runs before losing his wicket to Ollie Robinson.

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Virat Kohli-led Team India lost the 3rd Test by an innings and 76 runs

England made the most of the start to pile on 432 runs in the first innings, with each of the top four batters crossing the 50-run mark. India attempted a brave comeback to reverse the 354-run deficit in their second innings. However, they collapsed from 215/2 to 278 all out to record a defeat.

India went onto win the next match at The Oval to take a rare series lead on English soil. The fifth Test had to be rescheduled because of a COVID breakdown, and England recorded a historic run chase to level the score 2-2, and avoid a series defeat.