England vs India, 1st Test Match Summary

That's your lot for this Test match. It was a thorough entertainer but unfortunately didn't reach the climax. We are expecting more similar action (minus the rain) in the coming games. The caravan moves from Nottingham to London as the Mecca of Cricket, Lord's will be hosting the second Test match from 12th August 2021. The first ball will be at 11 am local (10 am GMT) but you can join us in advance for the build-up. Until next time, it's goodbye and cheers!

JOE ROOT, THE ENGLAND CAPTAIN, IS THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH. He says that it was a great Test match and the weather has robbed them of a close game and hopes that they can take the good stuff from this week to the rest of the series. Believes that they would have had nine opportunities to take wickets, had they played, but it is a shame that the weather did not let them have any action. Tells that there are certain areas which they want to work on and they want to take all the chances they create and they have to show strong character. On the scheduling of cricket in England, with The Hundred going on and no First-class cricket right now, Root tells that they have to deal with this issue, until the schedule changes and for the experienced players, who had to come from white-ball cricket to the Test format, it would have been easier to adapt, but, for the younger guys, it is slightly tough. Stresses that this is not an excuse, but opines that it could be challenging. Root says that he enjoyed his hundred and there was a lot of enjoyment as to how he played in this game. Adds that India have a really good seam attack and from his point of view, he looked to attack the bowlers and feels like he got into a good rhythm early in his innings.

Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, says that this is a bit of a strange one and they wanted a crack at the total, but it is a shame that the weather did not allow the game to continue. Feels that they wanted to start strong and heading to Day 5, they felt like they had the chance to win and felt like they were on top in the game. On the way the openers played late on Day 4, he says that they wanted to play with intent and it was not about survival and their intent kept them ahead in the game. Shares that the bowlers have been in the nets for the last three and a half weeks and they got a lead of 95 just due to their effort and he thinks they did a tremendous job with the blade. On whether this team will be the template for the series, Kohli thinks that this should be the template but adaptability has been their strength. Hopes that they get some exciting cricket for the remainder of the series.

It's raining but we will have the presentation...

England also had a few positives from the match but there are more negatives for them. Their top order batting needs a serious look-in, while the middle order is also looking fragile. Only Joe Root stood up with the bat to take the challenge to the Indian bowlers. That's surely not enough if you want to take down a team like India. James Anderson is aging like fine wine and his bowling spell on Day 2 was incredible. Ollie Robinson is another bowler who continues to show that he belongs to this level.

Positives for India! The batting of their openers, KL Rahul in particular. If Mayank Agarwal recovers from his concussion, that would be a real headache for Virat Kohli, ignoring KL after such a good Test match will be tough. The quartet of Indian pacers dominated the show. Jasprit Bumrah led the pack with a 9-wicket haul but the other three pacers were equally impressive if not more. Ravindra Jadeja getting preferred over Ravichandran Ashwin didn't have much of an impact with the ball but his knock with the bat justified his selection in a way.

Who will be hurting more? India or England? You can argue for both sides here. 157 on the final day with 9 wickets in hand, you will have to back the batting team to do the job. Having said that, with the conditions being overcast and England possessing some great bowlers for this particular condition, you never know, 2-3 early wickets and that would have put the cat among the pigeons. It's hard to guess what would have happened and it's a really sad end to this intriguing Test match.

It was a fascinating Test match. The first day will be remembered for the English collapse in the last session when India seized the initiative. Day 2 brought us rain but in a little window of play, James Anderson roared to remove Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli off consecutive balls. The moving day was all about more rain and the Indian tail wagging to gather vital runs. The penultimate day of this Test match was very engrossing with Joe Root leaving his mark with a century and Jasprit Bumrah claiming a 5-wicket haul to make it nine wickets in the match. No one will argue that had there been no rain, this Test match would have become even more interesting as the rain gods snatched momentum from both teams at some point in time.

Right then, Day 5 has been completely washed out and this Test match ends in a draw. That means both India and England will get 4 points each in the ICC World Test Championship table. What a shame! It was one heck of a Test match and was heading towards a close finish but the rain gods decided to spoil the party and have robbed us of a possible humdinger. 157 runs were needed on the final day but not a single ball was possible.

Update 3.50 pm local (2.50 pm GMT) - MATCH ABANDONED! Our worst fears have come true. We were hanging by a thread of hope for at least 30-35 overs but the umpires have decided to call it off. Too much rain, to be honest.

Update 3.30 pm local (2.30 pm GMT) - TEA TAKEN! The intensity of the rain had gone down, but it has picked up pace yet again. The conditions are still murky, as ever. The umpires decide to take Tea and we will be waiting for some better news, post the Tea break. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, we have been waiting for some cricketing action to get underway in this game, there is some cricket going on in England, that you can catch right now. At the Oval, in The Hundred Women, Trent Rockets Women have won the toss against Oval Invincibles Women and have chosen to bat first. You could switch tabs and catch all the action from that game, but, ensure that you keep an eye out here for any and all updates.

Update 3 pm local (2 pm GMT) - Not promising signs, ladies and gentlemen. Images from the ground show that the rain is steady and is pouring down at Trent Bridge. The atmosphere is also very dull and murky. Looks like there is thunder and lightning at the ground right now, as well. Harsha Bhogle (on air) quips that the colour of the sky is somewhere between medium grey and dark grey. Since we have seen so many grey skies in the past 5 days, he jokes that he has forgotten how blue skies look like. Fingers crossed that we can bring you something positive.

We all know that Bumrah has had a good first Test with the ball, but did you know that Jasprit Bumrah, with 16 wickets at this venue, has the joint-fourth most wickets, by a visiting bowler at Trent Bridge. The great Shane Warne with 29 wickets leads the list.

Update 2.30 pm local (1.30 pm GMT) - Oh, nooo! Just seems like our luck has gone for a toss. This should have been the time when the inspection should be going on, but THE DRIZZLE IS BACK. Furthermore, the hover cover is back on too. No respite for us all. The waiting game goes on...

Update 2.08 pm local (1.08 pm GMT) - Oh, yesssss! Some more good news (touch wood)! The Twitter handle of Nottinghamshire CCC has tweeted that the umpires are going to hold an inspection at 2.30 pm local (1.30 pm GMT). Hoping that the inspection brings us some update regarding the start time. We'll bring you everything we get. Keep an eye on this space.

Update 1.50 pm local (12.50 pm GMT) - GOOD NEWS! The rain has stopped. The super Soppers are at work. The groundsmen are trying their best to ensure that the conditions improve (hoping that the run does not return). There is more movement in the ground as well. This is really positive news. But, the weather today has been very stop-start, so we'll be hoping that the rain stays away for a much longer time now. Stay tuned as we hope to bring you more positive news.

Update 1.10 pm local (12.10 pm GMT) - The Lunch period is over but the rainy period is not. It's lashing down at Trent Bridge. Plenty of water on the covers and there are many wet patches on the unprotected areas as well. The drainage here is very good but until and unless it stops raining, nothing can be done. Let's play the waiting game for now.

Did you know? India have never lost a Test match in England after gaining a lead of 75 or more runs. They have won 4 and drawn 4.

Update 12.30 pm local (11.30 am GMT) - EARLY LUNCH TAKEN. Looking at how the weather is behaving, the umpires have made the decision to take it early. The entire first session has been washed out. Not the start that we wanted on Day 5, but honestly, not much that we can do. Let's hope for better news after the Lunch break. Keep an eye for updates here.

Update 12.10 pm local (11.10 am GMT) - Nothing new, folks, nothing new. The mood did brighten up slightly at Trent Bridge, with rain stopping. But, looks like the rain gods are not in any sort of mood to show mercy, as IT HAS STARTED POURING DOWN AGAIN. Just that kind of day, it seems. Sigh. All we can do is hope. Stay tuned.

Michael Atherton has a chat as well! He says that the weather is terrible and it is pretty bleak outside and he thinks that the Indian fans will be hoping that it clears quickly enough. He says that the forecast is not too good but says that these grounds have a good drainage system and opines that India would need around 30-40 overs to chase this down, and he hopes that the rain dies down by mid-afternoon, at the very least. On Ollie Robinson, he says that due to Archer's injury, Robinson's inclusion was easier and it was a good start by him and he will complement Broad and Anderson well. Feels that England have some decisions to make around that top order and it is tricky as well, as there is no First-Class cricket being played at this point, so there is no opportunity for any players to come and replace the batters at the top of the order. Adds that Zak Crawley showed good talent against Pakistan, but, since then, he has had an average of just 11, so Atherton feels that the selectors need to have a look at the same and make some decision. Feels that Dawid Malan could come in, not to open, but in the middle order. Praises KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma as they played very well late on Day 4. On India chasing this down, he thinks that getting through that late hour on Day 4 was key and India did well in that phase and he thinks that batting will not get that harder today.

Joe Root gives a quick interview. Tells that it was very special to enjoy with the crowd again and terms the atmosphere unbelievable. Feels that to get there and score a century is quite special, especially in the context of the game. Root keeps this knock of his right up there and mentions that it was against a very good attack on a wicket that has offered something to the bowlers throughout the whole game. Shares that he felt in good rhythm, somewhere near his best and hopes to use that for the rest of the summer. Further adds that his feet were going really well and he had quite a proactive mindset from the start and tried to put the bowlers off their lengths. Mentions that as a group, you need to realize the joy of scoring runs and it's really important. On their plans for Day 5, Joe replies that they have to make it as hard as possible for India. He wants to defend runs but at the same time keep catchers in. Feels that throughout the game, it has been very tough to start an innings and they could very easily get two or three early wickets. States that the thing in their favour is that India have the pressure of batting on a fifth-day pitch. Signs off by saying that it is a great reminder of why Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport and you don't get ebbs and flows like this in any other format.

Update 11.15 am local (10.15 am GMT) - The irritating drizzle is on. Moments back, Virat Kohli was on the ground and he was having a word with the umpires. Later on, Joe Root was also seen to be in conversation with the officials. The covers remain in place. Let's hope to have some action in the morning session.

Jasprit Bumrah comes up for a quick chat! The speedster says that he felt good after his performance on Day 4 but adds that the more important day is today and they want the weather to clear and the game to begin. Regarding the changes in the bowling conditions, Bumrah replies that it felt soft in the first innings and swung all day but it was slower in the second innings and they had to figure the length to swing the ball. On his unusual bowling action, Bumrah tells that he has not always followed instructions and believes that if he has something different, he will keep that as an advantage. Regarding the feeling that white-ball cricket is easier to take up as a youngster, Bumrah says it's not easier with the amount of cricket they play, but comparatively, white-ball cricket is easy and Test match takes a toll on your body as a fast bowler. Adds that when he was growing up it was all about Test cricket and mentions that this format is the most rewarding. Further adds that you put in a lot of effort and then get the result and this reward stays with you. On his injuries, Bumrah shares that his most serious injury happened before he played for the country. On his routine, Bumrah replies that he tries to keep a balanced diet, sleep well, focus on recovery and train well. Regarding his issues with the no balls, Bumrah answers that when you get tired, you push forward and you can go a little over the line and this is one aspect he wants to improve on. When asked about the last technical change he has done in his bowling, Bumrah informs that when he came to England in 2018, he used to have an outswinger but never used it but under these conditions, he backed his outswinger and tried to use it in the game. Also shares that during the break, he spent time with the family and took a break from cricket to come with a fresh mindset. On his batting and that particular pull shot for a six, Bumrah says that he has been working hard on his batting and he wants to contribute runs as a lower-order batsman.

The official account of Nottinghamshire CCC tweets - 'The gates are open, yet the skies are grey. It's drizzling at Trent Bridge!' It looks like we are in for a delayed start. Fingers crossed.

WEATHER - Yes, yes. We know. We know EXACTLY the update that you all care about. It is about the weather. Well, we do not want to squash your hopes, but the forecast for the day is not looking too great. It is expected to rain and we could be in for some delays. BCCI also tweeted an update that shows that the conditions are wet and windy at the moment. If the overcast conditions prevail, then the English pacers will be licking their lips. But, for them to be able to bowl, rain still has to stay away. Let's hope we are proved wrong with the forecast.

Not a very promising update that we are getting! BCCI have tweeted - 'It is wet and windy here at Trent Bridge!' They have also posted a picture with the hover cover in place and the conditions are gloomy. Let's hope it gets better as the start time approaches.

The English pacers have their work cut out for them here. They know that they have a mountain to climb, as their counterparts just need 157 more and also have lost just a single wicket. James Anderson did not have the best time on Day 4, but Jimmy has been through so much, that if he comes out and rattles the Indian batters, then none of us would be surprised. Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson bowled very well towards the end of Day 4 and would look to continue the same. Sam Curran has not had the best outing with the ball, but he will need to come good, as well, and apply pressure, whenever he is handed the ball. It is building up to be a cracking final day. Let's hope the rain gods show some mercy and we are treated to an uninterrupted day of cricket.

Let's paint the scenario of how things stand as we enter the final day of the Test. India have been set a total of 209 by the English Lions and around 1/4th of the same has been handled by the trio of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Cheteshwar Pujara. An absolute beauty from Broad saw him remove KL towards the fag end of the day, but it is definitely India who are in control of this game. They need 157 more to win, with 9 wickets remaining and the ball is in their court, as they will look to start this series with a victory.