Prickly Virat Kohli comes out swinging as India's attempts to wrap-up Test series becomes a sideshow

NICK HOWSON: The hosts' skipper remains put out by questions about conditions in Ahmedabad, and even called on the local media to change their agenda

England warned to expect a further trial by spin in fourth India Test

India v England, fourth Test: All you need to know

Brash. Thrusting. Abrupt. Some of the key characteristics of any Virat Kohli innings were central components of his final exchanges with the media ahead of the fourth Test between India and England, as the captain desperately clung to his unique theories regarding the conditions in Ahemdabad.

Having described the surface after the lowest scoring Test ever staged in Asia as "very good", the skipper attempted to disregard the impact of the pink ball which many have described as having skidded off the pitch, and a strip that offered variable bounce and spin from the opening session.

The comments were a complete contradiction to those made after last month's first Test loss in Chennai, where he rubbished a "very flat and slow" pitch and a "bizarre" ball which was tough to look after.

From the outset of this 25-minute exchange with the Indian and English written press, there was an atmosphere around Kohli and a feeling that a word out of line would result in a seething repost. While some enquiries were dismissed, others produced epic tirades.

"I don't understand why a cricket ball, a cricket pitch, all these things are brought into focus," said the 32-year-old, whose side lead 2-1 heading into the final Test.

"Why don't we just focus on the fact the batsman were just not skilled enough on that pitch to play properly?

"It was a bizarre display of batting by both teams in a Test match, and I will continue to maintain that. 

"I've played this game long enough to understand what happens on the cricket field. And it is not a change in ball colour or change in a ball. I don't know what difference it plays, suddenly. 

"It is very important to understand these small little details in the game if you just make a cricket ball helping the bowler, or the pitch helping the bowler as a focus then you're not reading the game properly, in my opinion. 

"It is a case of the ball having more pace and bounce and I don't think the red ball is going to change that. The result in the last game was down to bizarre batting from both sides. 

"If we'd scored more runs in a game it wouldn't have been over in two days, it would have gone three, maybe four."

^{Kohli believes the pink ball did not directly lead to the lowest scoring Test ever staged in Asia}

It was not a performance of a captain whose side is a win or draw away from reaching the inaugural World Test Championship final and extending a winning record in home series to 13.

It was The Doors singer Jim Morrison who uttered the immortal words "whoever controls the media, controls the mind". And while criticising the approach of the press following the third Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Kohli failed to see the irony in him suggesting journalists have a duty to provide a balanced view.

"There is always too much noise and too much conversation about spinning tracks," he added.

"If our media is in a space to contradict those views, present views that say that it is unfair to criticise only spinning tracks, it would be a balanced conversation.

"But the unfortunate bit is everyone plays along with that narrative and keeps making it news until the time it is relevant. 

"A Test match happens, if we win on day four or day five no one says anything, but when the match finishes inside two days everyone pounces on the same issue.

^{Batsmen on both sides had little answer amid the tricky conditions}

"We lost in New Zealand on day three in 36 overs. I am sure none of our people wrote about the pitch, it was all about how India played badly. None of the pitches were criticised. No one saw how much the pitch was doing, how the ball was moving and how much grass there was.

"Our success as a team has been that we've never complained about any of the pitches we've played on and we'll continue to perform like that as a team. 

"It has always been the case that spinning tracks come into focus way more and when the ball seams on a particular pitch and teams get bundled out for 40, 50, 60 no one writes about the pitches it is always about bad batting. 

"We all need to be honest with ourselves, what space are we talking from and what is the idea behind this narrative and what purpose it serves people who continue this conversation which is quite one-sided."

Images courtesy of BCCI

Our coverage of India vs England is brought to you in association with Dafabet India. For more on Dafabet and to place a bet, click here