Persistent rain ensured there was no play possible on day five of the first Test match between England and India at Trent Bridge. The game was nicely poised, with India needing 157 runs more in their run-chase of 209 and England in the hunt for nine wickets.
India were 52/1 in their run-chase of 209, and they would’ve fancied their chances. However, with overcast conditions, the England pace-attack might’ve thought they are in with a chance as well.
There was persistent rain throughout the day. There were predictions for thunderstorms throughout the weekend. While rain didn’t intervene on Day 4, it barely relented on day five.
The rain started before the scheduled start of play, and it washed out the first session. In the second session, the weather gods did relent for a bit, and there was an inspection scheduled at 2:30 PM local time, but just before that, it started to rain again. Around 3:50 PM, the umpires decided to call off the game.
The game was set up beautifully. India’s fast bowlers bowled beautifully on the first day to knock over England for 183. KL Rahul’s stoic 84, Ravindra Jadeja’s half-century and some lower-order contributions helped India eke out a vital 95-run lead.
James Anderson and Ollie Robinson were the stars with the ball for England. Skipper Joe Root led England’s fightback as his 21st century helped England get to 303 and set India a target of 209. India started their second innings positively and reached 52/1 at the end of day four.
The draw meant that both the teams received four World Test Championship points each. Remember, this was the first game of the new cycle – 2021 to 2023. The teams now move to Lord’s for the second Test, which starts on August 12.
Brief scores
England 183 (Root 64, Bumrah 4/46, Shami 3/28) & 303 (Root 109, Bumrah 5/64, Thakur 2/37) drew with India 278 (Rahul 84, Jadeja 56, Robinson 5/85, Anderson 4/54) & 52/1 (Rahul 26, Broad 1/18).
