No gripes from us about the pitch. Why shouldn’t home teams get home advantage?

DEFEAT in the second Test made this week a tough one but I think it’s important to reflect honestly and pragmatically about things. We got outplayed, out-skilled on that pitch in Chennai and we don’t want to tear ourselves down too much because things didn’t go our way and India played really well.

It was a pitch that made the toss crucial, just as had been the case when we won the first Test match at the same ground.

We posted a score of close to 600, and batting on that pitch on day one compared t o day f i ve was a completely different kettle of fish.

For example, Virat Kohli was dismissed by a delivery that rolled over the top of his shoe laces on that fifth day when the ball was also reversing and turning square.

Equally, look at the ball Joe Root got prodding forward, playing a forward defence — it exploded to shoulder height.

You get that huge differentiation in bounce when pitches deteriorate and on pitches that play like that it is obviously easier to score runs before they get worn.

If you lose the toss on that pitch, you then have to play a once-in-alifetime match to win it and India did not allow any chance of that.

A couple of key guys in Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin made massive contributions, and we have to appreciate that India played really well and we didn’t get it quite right.

There is no criticism of the second Test pitch from our point of view. That’s exactly what home advantage is and you are well within your rights to utilise that. Why wouldn’t India play on pitches that turn square and upon which first innings runs are vital? They outplayed us on a pitch that they are very skilled on but one very alien to us.

It’s the same as when we beat India at Lord’s in 2018: the ball swung around, and when it did it looked like a different pitch when we batted on it compared to our opposition. Why? Because we have spent 30 years playing against the ball moving through the air. India were dismissed for 107 and 130 and we won by an innings.

There are all different ways of trying to give yourself an advantage on home turf. When South Africa play at home to Sri Lanka, it doesn’t get talked about too much that they play on pitches of steep bounce and rapid pace on the Highveld.

In Australia, they have a tendency to play the first match of a series at the Gabba because it’s a stronghold for them. There are all kinds of subtle advantages used across the world of sport. This one just happened to slap us in the face.

While we were playing in Chennai, those not picked were using the pink SG ball in the nets in readiness for the day-night third match in Ahmedabad and the reports are it swings and nips about, which is encouraging. I’ve held one and it’s harder than the red one but doesn’t look as though it will reverse as much as it has a lacquer rather than a leather that will peel away.

I have to say that this new stadium at Motera, the biggest in the world, is so impressive that it has a bit of an aura about it even when empty.

It’s like a coliseum. From the changing room to middle is a threeminute walk and that might bring timed-out dismissals into play! One or two batsmen might have to get a little jog on to remain safe.

I can only imagine what it will be like at 50 per cent capacity, with 55,000 people in, from Wednesday. And with 110,000, at a World Cup match later this year for example, I don’t know if we would be able to hear ourselves think. The loudest I’ve ever heard a crowd was at the MCG in the 2017-18 Ashes when I caught David Warner on 99 — only for us to discover Tom Curran had bowled a no ball. When he got to his hundred next ball the noise was incredible but I think this ground has the potential to outdo it.

And even a crowd of 10,000 daily made a big difference last week compared to the behind- closeddoors first match, it didn’t feel as though it was a coincidence that India’s players upped their game.

Conditions this week might be slightly more in our favour — if you are talking about England, Australia and South Africa playing here, you would probably choose a pink ball if you are looking at evening things up — but we must remember India possess some fine seam bowlers and are at home.

Personally, there should be more for me to work with, if selected. There was nothing in the Chennai pitch on that first day and it was only when I went Anil Kumble and started to get the leg-cutter really jagging off the surface that I felt in the game.

If I’d been 23 and finished with no wickets I would have been annoyed and frustrated but experience helps in this situation.

I know that I created slip and caught-behind chances and as a seamer you can only create the opportunities, not guarantee that the batsmen are out as a result. I’ve reflected that I created as many chances as any other seamer on that pitch, more or less.

I’m hungry to play this week but I appreciate these Indian conditions are not necessarily my strength and my record here doesn’t compare to my one in England, South Africa and the Caribbean.

There has been talk of this being the match most likely for myself and James Anderson to play in the same team this winter but it is all guesswork for the next few days.

Selection can only really take place after a look at the pitch on Tuesday or even on the morning of the game, and now that Moeen Ali has gone home, it feels like it will either be two seamers plus Ben Stokes or three plus Stokes and the spinner — a more traditionally English team, if you like.