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It was all set to be a thrilling final day in the first India vs England Test match at Trent Bridge. However, the weather played spoilsport and the day was called off owing to persistent rains all day.
Heading into the final day, India needed 157 runs to win and had nine wickets in the bag. The equation looked fairly settled for the visitors. But the conditions all day were expected to be cloudy and with England having the services of James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad, it would not have been a stroll in the park for India.
Be that it may, both teams will now have to be satisfied with four points each as they begin their journey of the second edition of the World Test Championship. India will be the more satisfied of the two teams, but in home conditions, England will not be too dissatisfied with their comeback in the second innings.
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Here we take a look at the hits and misses for India in the first India vs England Test match:
Stellar bowling attack - Hit
After their disappointing performance in the World Test Championship final, the Indian seam bowlers hit back with a lot of vengeance. Led by Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian attack looked potent and relentless as they bundled out England for 183 in their first innings.
Even when conditions became better for batting, the Indian bowlers kept chipping away and had the seamers exploit the pitch on the fourth day. The addition of Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur gave the attack a more rounded look and this should bolster the morale of the side as they head into the next Test match.
Performance of the Indian tail - Hit
For all their pedigree with the ball, the Indian fast bowlers have not been too adept with the bat and this has come back to bite the side quite often.
Ahead of this first India vs England Test match, Ajinkya Rahane had said that the lower order batsmen have put in the hard yards in the nets and this bore fruit in the first innings.
India lost their seventh wicket for 205 and Ravindra Jadeja when the score read 232. However, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj stayed put, showed a lot of steel as they dragged India to 278 and handed them a priceless lead of 95 runs.
Solidity of KL Rahul - Hit
Before this Test series, KL Rahul was not even in the fray for being in the side as an opener. However, injuries to Shubman Gill and then Mayank Agarwal gave him the opportunity to stake claim at the top of the order and he looked the part.
Rahul was coming off a century in the practice game and looked like a man in form. His judgment outside the off stump was immaculate and his driving through the covers and point was top notch.
He was the leading run-scorer for India in the first innings with a solid 84 and if he manages to show this discipline, the visitors will be favorites to do wonders in this series.
Form of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane - Miss
The Indian middle order has been quite vulnerable in recent times and both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara looked unsettled in the first innings. Both of their forms are a cause for concern for the Indian management.
Pujara looks extremely susceptible to the ball that nips away after pitching, while Ajinkya Rahane looks ruffled when he starts his innings. If India have to start piling on big scores, the middle order has to stand up and be counted and both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have to do much better.
Virat Kohli - Miss
Captain Virat Kohli got his selection right, he made the right decisions on the field, but fell for a first-ball duck to James Anderson. He poked at a ball outside off stump and edged it to Jos Buttler.
The scenes were eerily similar to his struggles in 2014 and if India have to score big, the captain needs to filter out this issue.
Virat Kohli seems too concerned with the ball nipping back in and he has looked a tad susceptible to the ball that nips away at the last moment - Kyle Jamieson exploited in the WTC final and James Anderson bowled a similar delivery here.
However, we expect Kohli to find a way and bounce back.
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