The match was evenly poised heading into the final day of the Test in Trent Bridge but the game was called off after persistent rains kept delaying the start of play.
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The first Test of the ongoing five-match series between England and India ended in a draw after the last day was completely washed out. The fourth day ended with the visitors needing another 157 runs to take a 1-0 lead. The hosts had to hunt down the remaining nine wickets as early as possible. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul had recorded a solid start in testing conditions in the dying stages of Day 4. However, Broad showcased his capabilities yet again, sending back the latter for 26 with a sensational delivery. Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara saw through the remaining overs, setting up a sublime nail-biting finale for day five. However, it was simply not meant to be.
Both the captains expressed a sense of dismay after a tame end to proceedings.
“The weather disrupted what would have been a very interesting final day. Great Test match to play in and watch as well. Sets up the series really well and hopefully we can take it into the next games. We certainly believed we could win. We knew we would have opportunities if we took our catches and kept our fields. It’s a shame it ended this way. There are certain areas where we want to get better in. We want to get better at the top of the order and take our catches,” said England skipper Joe Root as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“We need strong characters. Want to keep that enthusiasm in, it is fun scoring runs and a fun game. Really relishing the opportunities in front of us. We have to deal with till the schedule changes and the setup changes. The experienced guys have it easier going from white ball to Test cricket, but the youngers guys might not have that experience. It must be quite challenging for our youngsters, but that’s no excuse. To finally get to my century was a relief given how I played throughout the day. I think India have a very good seam attack and credit to them for the way they bowled. I just wanted to put the pressure back on them with a few shots. Certainly feel full of confidence on the back of that,” he added.
Team India skipper Virat Kohli termed the washout on Day 5 as a shame, adding that he was looking forward to the next Test.
“We were expecting rain on days three and four but it chose to come on day five. It would have been enjoyable to play and watch, but it’s a shame. This is exactly what we wanted to do; start strong. On day five we knew we had our chances. We certainly felt like we were on top of the game. Getting that lead was crucial, but it’s a shame we couldn’t finish day five. Getting to fifty overnight was important. We just didn’t want to play for survival,” he said.
“Our intent kept us ahead. It’s hard work of three odd weeks for our bowlers with the bat. We were talking of a lead of 40-odd but we ended up with 95 and those runs were gold dust. Most likely this will be our template in this series, but adaptability has been our strength. The conditions and the pace on the wicket needs to be seen, but this team will be our template. England and India have always been a blockbuster, and looking forward to the next Test,” added Kohli.
England were bowled out for 183 in the first innings, with the bowlers going on to knock out India for 278. The hosts followed it up with a score of 303 in the second innings, with the performance of Root a major positive.
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