'Do we play matches so that they last 5 days?': Virat Kohli hits out at pitch critics

India vs England 4th Test: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday hit out on people questioning the pitch during the pink ball Test as the match got over within two days. Virat took the example of India's forgettable tour to New Zealand in early 2020 when the Men in Blue lost both the Test matches within three days. 

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"Let me ask you a question - do we play matches so that they last 5 days or do we play to win?"

"We lost in New Zealand inside 3 days. No one said anything about the pitch back then. Our strength is we focus on ourselves and not the pitch. We need to be honest with ourselves about this narrative (of spinning tracks)," Kohli said on the eve of the fourth Test between India and England at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

The third Test between India and England was over in 842 deliveries making it the fastest win for the Men in Blue in the history of the format. Ashwin and Axar scalped 18 wickets to help hosts win by 10 wickets. 

"I believe there is too much noise about spinning tracks. Our media should present the view that spinning tracks are fine in the subcontinent. The reason behind our success as a team is that we haven't cribbed about any surface we have played on. We have always tried to improve," the India captain added.

"No clue why the focus is so much on the ball or the pitch. Neither sides batsmen were good enough to tackle the pitch in 3rd Test. I maintain it was a case of the skill on display rather than the pitch being a bad one."