Rain denies England and India chance of victory at the end of an absorbing first Test
The first Test between England and India ended in a draw after day five was rained off, denying both sides the chance to push for a win at Trent Bridge; the series remains level heading into the second Test at Lord's; watch it live from 10am, Thursday on Sky Sports The Hundred
Sunday 8 August 2021 21:23, UK
England and India were denied the opportunity to play out what promised to be a thrilling finale to the first Test as day five at Trent Bridge was washed out.
The match was tantalisingly poised with India 52-1, needing another 157 to win, and England requiring another nine wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
However, heavy rain throughout the day kept the players from the field and the match ended in a draw with the decision to abandon the day's play at 3.50pm.
It means the series remains all square as the sides head to Lord's for the second Test, which starts on Thursday.
A damp draw was a disappointing end as despite so much time being lost to rain - days two and three were both cut short before day five's washout - the Test provided some high-quality cricket from both sides and some intriguing battles that are sure to run and run as the series progresses.
Record-breaking Root
With England's top-order fragilities well known, the pressure was on Joe Root to lead the batting unit once more.
While the captain was supreme in Sri Lanka over the winter and added another double century in Chennai, his home form has been rather patchier over the past couple of years, but at Trent Bridge, he looked back to his best.
From the start of his first innings, there was a focus about Root at the crease. Even with the fears over England's batting being realised around him on day one, he was a composed and classy presence and one of his many picture-book drives took him past Sir Alastair Cook to become England's highest run-scorer of all-time across all formats.
An unbelievable achievement when you consider some of the greats who have gone before him but his crowning glory came on day four with his majestic 21st Test century.
"One of his very best hundreds," Michael Atherton exclaimed on commentary when he made it to three figures, the first time since 2018 he had done so in a home Test match.
England's batting worries remain - if anything they have grown in this Test match - with Sam Curran's 32 in the second innings the highest score by an English batsman not named Root in the match.
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Root cannot be expected to carry them every time but seeing the skipper back somewhere close to his brilliant best, and against such a potent seam attack (more on them later), was a welcome sight for England fans as they look ahead to the rest of the series and beyond.
Anderson vs Kohli: part III
Two of the greats of the game going head to head is always something to savour and even though the battle lasted just one ball this time around, it delivered.
After enduring a torrid time against Jimmy Anderson in 2014, Virat Kohli came back in 2018 with a new plan of action and dominated, even as England won the series.
Anderson had not dismissed Kohli since 2014 so when he got him first ball this time around, his celebration was as wild as those in stands at Trent Bridge.
It was a brilliant delivery to claim his second wicket in two balls as England hit back and it took hit level with former India spinner Anil Kumble on 619 Test wickets, 620 and 621 followed on day three meaning that, in the history of the game, only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne have taken more Test wickets than Anderson.
He still has some way to reach Warner's 708 but, in the meantime,, his battle with Kohli is sure to keep us enthralled through the summer.
Brilliant Bumrah leads India seamers
Root was named player of the match for his innings of 64 and 109 but he must have been pushed very close by Jasprit Bumrah. The India fast bowler, with his stuttering run-up and straight-arm action, was superb: claiming 4-46 in the first innings and 5-64 in the second.
His pace, skill and remarkable ability to land the ball in just the right spot time and again were on show from the very first over of the match as he set Rory Burns up with four away swingers before bringing the fifth one back into the left-hander to trap him lbw. It was a masterclass.
Bumrah is just one of a hugely imposing India seam attack. With Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur and the fiery Mohammed Siraj, the tourists were able to leave out Ishant Sharma and not miss a beat.
It has not been often in recent years that England's pacers have come up against an opposition attack as capable of exploiting English conditions as they are but India will certainly run them close.
With Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson, who again looked every bit the Test player as he took his maiden five-for in just his second game, not to mention Sam Curran and Mark Wood, England will still back themselves to come out on top but Bumrah and co are sure to feel differently.
Which battery of fast bowlers comes out on top could go a long way to deciding the series.
Watch day one of the second Test between England and India at Lord's from 10am, Thursday on Sky Sports The Hundred and Main Event.
