1st Test: England were in with a chance, says skipper Root

India were 52 for one chasing a target of 209 but Root felt that England still had a chance as the pitch was offering assistance to fast bowlers.

Nottingham: 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.

With no play possible on the final day due to heavy rain, the match was called off as a draw.

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India were 52 for one chasing a target of 209 but Root felt that England still had a chance as the pitch was offering assistance to fast bowlers.

“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.