We Were in a Good Position to Have a Crack at the Target: Captain Kohli

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Sunday said he felt his team was in a good position to have a crack at the target in the first Test in Nottingham before rain played spoilsport.

Chasing a target of 209, India was 52 for one wicket at the end of play on the fourth day, with Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara looking good to guide them to victory with some attacking play. However, their hopes were dashed as no play was possible on the fifth day because of heavy rains.

"We thought we were in a good position to have a crack at the target. This is exactly what we wanted to do: we wanted to start strong," Kohli said after the match was called off as a draw.

Under the revised points system announced by the International Cricket Council for the 2021-2023 second edition of the World Test Championship, both sides took away four points each from the draw. The total points accumulated at the end of the cycle will be divided by the number of tests played by a team to determine standings and thereby, the finalists for the climax of the competition. Had there been a decisive conclusion, the winning XI would have been awarded 12 points, and a tie would have fetched six points apiece.

Ironically the announcement over the public address system at 3.49 p.m. local time calling off the match came just as the sun filtered through the clouds. But the outfield was too wet to render it fit for proceedings within a reasonable period. At least four hours of play were necessary to force a result.

"Heading to day five, we had our chances right in front of us. One good partnership and then you know what happens when there's only 150 on the board to defend. We certainly felt like we are on top of the game. We bowled well enough and batted well enough to stay in the contest and then getting that lead was crucial which kept us on top throughout the game," Kohli said.

Kohli was happy with the way his batsmen started the chase in the second innings.

"And to get to 50 overnight is a big positive for us. It wasn't about survival; it was about getting the boundaries where the opportunity presented itself," he said. "Our intent is what kept us ahead in the game. Even today the start would have been the same," the Indian skipper added.

Kohli was pleased with the way tailenders Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj added 46 runs that helped India gain a lead of 95 runs.

"It's a hard work of three-odd weeks now. They have been in the nets regularly, wanting to contribute regularly, wanting to contribute to the team. Getting 50-plus runs from those three bowlers was like gold dust for us - we would have been talking about a lead of 40-odd and then we got to a lead of 95 purely because of their efforts," he said.

Kohli said they may go into the remaining matches of the series with a similar bowling template of four pacers and one spinner.

"Most likely it will be a template going ahead in the series, but again, adaptability has been a strength of ours as well. This looks like the right template for us moving forward," he added.

Now the scene shifts to Lord's, London, where the battle for supremacy in the five-test series will resume on August 12.

Things Could Very Quickly Have Fallen in our Favour: England skipper Joe Root

Though India needed 157 more runs and England nine wickets, skipper Joe Root said the hosts had a good chance of winning the opening Test of the series at Trent Bridge.

"From my perspective, at one stage it looked like we could have potentially had 40 overs and I think in that period, it felt like we'd have been able to create nine chances on the surface like that," he said after the match.

"I'd be lying if I was to say that India weren't in the driving seat going into today, but we know on a wicket like that, a couple of wickets in a cluster and of course that game can turn on its head," he said.

He felt India could always have wilted in these conditions.

"Final day, the pressures of batting on a fifth-day wicket, things could, very quickly have fallen in our favour and we certainly believed that we'd have been able to create nine more chances. If we'd have been good enough in the field and taken those then we could have been sat here one-nil up, but unfortunately, the weather has won."

Though Root admitted that their batting failed in the first innings, he was not totally disappointed because of how things went in the second innings.

"There were a few glimpses of what we're capable of with the bat in the second innings. I thought we played with better intent and looked like we were really enjoying and thriving in the environment.

"You could see guys a little bit more, a bit more relaxed, a bit more clear about how they want to go and play and certainly feel like going into the next test match if we can carry that forward then you'll see some better performances," said Root.

Bowlers have worked very hard on their batting: Rahul

The contribution of India's tail-end batsmen was one of the biggest positives of the first Test, said India opener KL Rahul.

After a horrendous outing during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand where India lost their last four wickets for 12 and 14 across two innings, the last three wickets added 73 in the first Test.

"Tail-enders' contribution becomes very important in away tours, those extra 30-40 runs really mattered in winning the Test match," said Rahul speaking to the media on Sunday.

"Bowlers have worked very hard. We have been in UK for two months. They have been working very, very hard on their batting and with our batting coach as well. They are spending a lot of time on their batting as well as their bowling which is their primary skill. It is really good to see that level of application and dedication. They also feel they can contribute 30-40 runs in the lower order. It is crucial in countries like England," he added.

Rahul added that the bowlers' performance in the first innings as well as the way the team managed distracting rain breaks was a big positive.

"The way we bowled in the first innings was really good to see and the discipline we showed especially after losing the toss and having to bowl first. It sort of feels like the team that won the toss has the advantage but we went there and bowled with a lot of discipline," added Rahul.

"The way they stuck to their plans and then how we went about our batting as well. It was quite a challenging pitch and also with the weather conditions being as it was, going in and out wasn't easy for us to get our focus -- switching off and switching on. The game getting interrupted was a challenge. Great to see that we kept our focus and held our focus in the field."

The 29-year-old Karnataka batsman, who was drafted in as replacement opener, was the top-scorer in India's first innings with 84. He also looked good for his 26 in the second innings before getting dismissed by Stuart Broad.

"It is a lot of fun batting in England. I think as a batsman if you are in that mind-space to go and enjoy yourself in the middle and be challenged, it is a great place to bat and learn about your own technique and about your own skill which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed last time when I was here but unfortunately I didn't score that much but I took a lot out from that series, lot of learning. Happy to come here and start the series well. Looking forward to continuing what I am doing and giving my team the good starts and scoring a lot of runs, be it opening or in middle-order."

(With IANS Inputs)