We were not going to play for survival, shame we couldn’t finish Day 5: Virat Kohli

The prospect of a dramatic first test final between England and India was washed away at Trent Bridge on Sunday when play on the fifth and final day was cancelled due to rain without a ball.

The test was finely poised with India 52/1 overnight in its second innings and chasing 209 for the victory. With 157 runs or nine wickets needed to settle things, even a half day’s play may have been enough to get a positive result.

But the players never even made it out of the pavilion, with morning showers continuing into the afternoon and gradually eating away at the available time. Eventually, the umpires made the inevitable call to abandon the match.

After the game India captain, Virat Kohli expressed his disappointment as incessant rain at Nottingham played spoilsport. “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,” Kohli added at the post-match presentation.

Meanwhile, England captain Joe Root believed that their side were in with a chance as well. “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,” said Root.