Xtra Time Web Desk: England skipper Joe Root on Sunday admitted India were probably in the driver’s seat on Day 5 of the first test match at Trent Bridge. The final day’s play was washed out resulting in a draw. According to Root, the game could have turned on its head on the surface which was used in the match but India were slightly ahead.
“India were probably in the driver’s seat going in today. We know on a wicket like that, get a couple of wickets across that, the game can turn on its head,” Root said during the virtual post match press conference.
The England captain also said his bowlers could have created opportunities in case they had a shot for at least 40 overs at the Indian batters on the washed out final day of the first Test.
“I think from our perspective, at one stage, we could have potentially 40 overs, in that period, (I) felt like we would have been able to create many chances on surface like that,” Root said.
“So in many ways actually, the weather has robbed us all, of a fantastic final day’s test cricket, which is shame,” Root said.
But he opined that Indian batsmen would have felt the pressures of batting on a fifth day surface.
“The pressures of batting on the fifth day wicket, things can very quickly (could) have fallen in our favour. We certainly believed that we would have been able to create normal chances if we had been good enough in the field and taken those, could have been exciting, fortunately the weather has won,” he said.
The match ended in a draw after India were 52 for 1, chasing 209 in the fourth innings. The second Test of the five-match series will be played at the Lords starting from Thursday.