After rain washed out the first two sessions, the officials decided to call off play altogether. The hosts and the visitors would be disappointed as both the teams were in a position to win the match and had a chance to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
India finished 52/1 in their second innings, requiring 157 more runs to reach a victory target of 209. The Virat Kohli and Co. lost KL Rahul (26) while Rohit Sharma (12 no) and Cheteshwar Pujara (12 no) were at the crease.
England skipper Joe Root was named ‘Player of the Match’ award for being the highest run-scorer (64 in the first innings and 109 in the second innings) for his side. After the match, Root said that they had a belief that they could win, but it’s a shame that the contest was drawn in the end.
“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 at the post-match presentation.
Just like his counterpart, Kohli also looked disappointed with the result as he reckoned his team was in a much comfortable position and were top of the game.
“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,” said Kohli.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
UPDATE: Play has been abandoned.
The first #ENGvIND Test at Trent Bridge ends in a draw.
We will see you at Lord's for the second Test, starting on August 12. #TeamIndia
Scorecard ? https://t.co/TrX6JMzP9A pic.twitter.com/k9G7t1WiaB
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 8, 2021
The match has officially been called a draw
What an absolute pity. Both teams would've fancied their chances today but alas, it wasn't to be#ENGvIND
— ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA) August 8, 2021
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